
Rnnk .L(y>n4 



GRAY'S ELEGY. 



liiteKcifN^ ai^S Gr5in2n2sitical Explaipatioi^s 
Si.[2^ Gon2n2ei2t5, 



Suggestions as to How it Should be Taught. 



By R. HEBER HOLBROOK, 

Vice-President National Normal Univeksity, 

lebanon, ohio. 



Author of " Outlines of U. S. History," " The New Method, or School Expositions, 
"Drill Lists in U. S. History," &c. 



GRAY'S ELEGI 



liitefarvi aipi Gfan2n2atical nxplai^atioi^s 
aip^ Gon2n2ei2t§, 



Suggestions AS to How it Should be Taught. 



By R. HEBER HOLBROOK, 

'I 

Vice-President National Normal University, 

lebanon, ohio. 

Author of "Outlines of U. S. History," "The New Method, or School Expositions 
"Drill Lists in U. S. History," &c. 



%^ 



LEBANON, OHIO: 

C K. Ham.i.ton & Co., University Publishkes. 

1«86. 



APR 17 1886. I 



'0^4 



SHV^^ 



T 



COPTRIGHT IBNi, R. H. HOLBKOOK. 




^ CONTENTS'*" 



A Visit to stoke Pogis, The Scene of the Elegy 7 

History of the Poem 10 

Elegy to Whom - 12 

Preliminary Survey - - 13 

The Poem 1 14—43 

First Stanza 14 

Second Stanza — 16 

Third Stanza IV 

Fourth Stanza 17 

Fifth Stanzi 18 

Sixth Stanza 19 

Cotter's Saturday Night Referred to 20 

Seventh Stanza 20 

Eighth Stanza 21 

Ninth Stanza 22 

Tenth Stanza 23 

Eleventh Stanza 24 

Twelfth Stanza 25 

Thirteenth Stanza 26 

Fourteenth Stanza 27 

Fifteenth Stanza 28 

Sixteenth Stanza 29 

Seventeenth Stanza 29 

Eighteenth Stanza 30 

Suppressed Stanzas a, 6, c, d 31 

Nineteenth Stanza 31 

Twentieth Stanza 32 

Twenty-flrst Stanza 33 

Twenty-second Stanza 34 

Twenty- third Stanza 35 

Twenty-fourth Stanza 36 

Twenty-fifth Stanza 38 

(3) 



4 



Suppressed Stanza c 1 38 

Twenty-sixth Stanza 39 

Twenty-seventh Stanza 40 

Twenty-eighth Stanza 40 

Twenty-ninth Stanza 41 

Suppressed Stanza/ f. 41 

Thirtieth Stanza 42 

Thirty-first Stanza 42 

Thirty-second Stanza 43 

Outline of Gray's Elegy 44 

Concluding Suggestions 45 



i 



-"H PREFACE. "^ 



In the preparation of this work, the writer has made no effort at 
literary flourish. He is exceedingly anxious not to appear as one at- 
tempting to paint the lily or adorn the rose, or as Lowell puts it — 

" Plastering our swallow-nesta on the awful Past, 
And twittering around the work of larger men 
As we had builded, what we but deface." 

On the other hand, he would be simply a plain, humble, yet reverent 
guide for plain, humble and reverent strangers to the beauties of this 
matchless poem, even as the sexton of a beavitiful cathedral directs the 
steps of the respectful visitor through the sounding arch ways of his loved 
minster. 

If the comments and explanations seem excessively elementary, — even 
puerile, — to certain readers, they must remember that they are intended 
for very beginners in literature, such as are found in an ordinary sixth 
reader class in a country school. Yet, teachers will see at once that these 
pages are intended for the teacher rather than for the pupils, to whom it 
will remain only a reference book, if it fall into their hands at all. 

This little volume is the result of practical class management, and is 
sent forth to help forward the "Expressive" phase* of school work to 
which the writer has especially dedicated his efforts. 



*See "New Methods," p. 118, C. K. Hamilton & Co. 

(5) 






— » » » — 

A VISIT TO STOKE POGIS, 

Ths ScERE of ths Elsgy,^ 



It is a cool afternoon in July, and the shadows are falling eastward on 
fields of waving grain and lawns of emerald velvet. Overhead a few 
light clouds are drifting, and the green boughs of the great elms are 
gently stirred by a breeze from the west. Across one of the more distant 
fields a flock of sable rooks, — some of them fluttering and cawing, — wings 
its slow and melancholy flight. There is the sound of the whetting of a 
scythe, and, near l)y, the twittering of many birds upon a cottage roof. 
On either side of the country road, which runs like a white rivulet through 
bmks of green, the hawthorn hedges are shining, and the bright sod is 
spangled with all the wiLl flowers of an English summer. An odor of 
lime trees and of new-mown hay sweetens the air for miles and miles 
around. Far off in the horizon's verge, just glimmering through the haze, 
rises the imperialcitadel of Windsor, and close at hand a little child points 
to a gray spire peering out of a nest of ivy, and tells me this is Stoke Po- 
gis Church. 

If peace dwells anywhere upon this earth, its dwelling-place is here. You 
come into this little churchyard by a pathway across the park, and through 
a wooden turn-stile ; and in one moment the whole world is left behind 
and forgotten. Here are the nodding elms ; here is the yew tree's shade ; 
here " heaves the turf in many a mould'ring heap." All these graves 
seem very old. The long grass waves over them, and some of the low 
stones that mark them are entirelyshrouded with ivy. Many of the "frail 
memorials" are made of wood. None of them is neglected or forlorn, 
but all of them seem to have been scattered here in that sweet disorder 
which is the perfectionof rural loveliness. There never, of course, could 
have been any thought of creating this effect; yet it remains, to win your 
heart forever. And here, amid this mournful beauty, the little church 
itself nestles close to the ground, while every tree that waves its branches 

*This bca itiful sketch is taken from the scrap book of a friend. It originally 
aripeared in tlie A'. 1'. Tribune. I am unable to discover the author, who will for- 
give me for thus helping to make his (or her) unknown name blessed among all 
theteajhers and pupils who read this elegant product of genius. 



g Grays Elegy. 

„„„„. u, an. ^^1^:^^;:^°^ ?::;?«■ jr^^V'oriKi'n^a 

favorite seat, and where the brown neea^e ^ ^^^ ^^^^^ j, ^ f^.^j 

tun.n, have made a d-- -rp t nthe tt^rf.^^Tv^o^^ ^^^ ^ . . ,^^_^ 

^.^ota^role^t^YLaf at hand rtv leaves flutter dowa in soundless bene- 

„.other of many children one ^lone of whom, ^^as he ^^^^V_^ ^^^^ 
gravestone, "had ^^^ ""'^^^--^^^ ^^^'.^^w' slab-stands a few feet 
oblong, brick structure, covered with a ^^^^ ! t .^blet to denote its 
t.y f;on. the church wall, upon -J^-^^ ^ ^^^^^ f it . There was 
place. The poet's name has '^''\}'^^liy^l'^XnsX " The whole place is 
Lt need here of " -'^'^'''' .'^I'^^^'^ZT^W^^^^^ the soul of the place a 
his monument, and the majestic Elegy f^'J'^ music-is his immortal 
f.,rm of seraphic beauty and a voice of celestial musi 

epitaph. 

This stanza originally a part of the Elegy, was finally rejected by Gray. 

Th:;:rr nient^f Sray m -^^::^:^^,^^-^^^ 

him! and the visitor finds there a -oney-box f ^^e je ep^ion^^^^ ^^^^^^ 
butionsin aid of th,s pious des.gn. No h ng will l>ea ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ 

to direct closer and closer attention to his lUe. it wa .j ^larly 

ivi ever recorded in ^^e history of hteraure^^^l^^^^^^^^ X 

pure, noble and beautiful. In two ^^^ \"^^^'/^,J'„'/, J^e qualities which 
^vas exemplary almost beyond ^ P'^J^'^J^'/^^^.'S to acquire. Gray 
luerary character in the presen =iy ^-g-^^Ve censure o? other men ; 
was averse to publicity. He did not sway uy poetry, to 

.either did he need their ^-^^'--^'^'^^^^^.Vn'e to literature until he'had 
him, was a great art; and he ^^J^^^^^^^'^^^^ by the thoughtful, labo- 
first made it as nearly perfect as it '^°^l<iJ,^;^^,^';^'^J spontaneous impulse 
rious exertion of his best powers, ^^^P^-^^f '^f^f^^'^^^ ^, P° Charles Dickens 
and flow of his genius. M°>-V^-'°VTJ he w"oteo little. The most, 
among the rest, have sneered at h.m because hew ote so UU^.^.^^^^ ^^^^ 
colossal form of human conceit, Probably, is that ot ^^^^^_ ^^.^ 

thinks another creatures inferior -!^^ .^^PP^^jf ^^^ Jl^blem of his sin- 
reticence on the part of Gray was, in ^^^5' ^f %g^^„. There is abetter 
cerity and the corner-stone of his '^^^P^^^^'^^^^^f ./"J^^Tnd that is the great 
thing than the great man who ,s ^^^ays speaking and ^^b ^^^^ 

man%vho only speakr. when he has f^^^^/^^^^/^^^te^is perfect in its kind, 
only a few poems; but, «f J^ P'l"'=^Pfl;° ,^'3^ r^erit by reference to ill- 
supreme and unapproachable. He did not test meru y 



A Visii to Stoke Pogis. 9 

informed anr\ capricious public opinion, but wrought according to the 
highest standards of art which learning and taste could furnish. His letters 
form an English Classic. There is no better prose in existence ; there is 
very little extant that is so good. But the crowning glory of Gray's na- 
ture, the element that makes it so impressive, the charm that brings the 
pilgrim to Stoke Pogis Church to muse upon it, was the self-poised, sin- 
cere and lovely exaltation of its contemplative spirit. He was a man 
whose conduct of life would, first of all, purify, extend and adorn the 
temple of his own soul, out of which should afterwards flow, in their own 
free way, those choral harmonies that soothe, guide and exalt the human 
race. He lived before he wrote. The soul of the Elegy is the soul of the 
man. It was his thought — which he has somewhere expressed in better 
words than these — that human beings are only worthy while those feelings- 
endure which are engendered when death has just taken from us the ob- 
jects of our love. That was the point of view from which he habitually 
looked upon the world ; and no man who has learned the lessons of expe- 
rience can doubt that he was right. 

Gray was t^renty-six years old when he wrote the first draft of the Elegy. 
He began this poem in 1742, at Stoke Pogis, and he finished and published 
it in 1750. No visitor to this churchyard can miss either its inspiration or 
its imagery. The poet has been deal more than a hundred years, but the 
scene of his rambles and reveries has suffered no material change. One of 
his yew trees, indeed, much weakened with age, was some time since blown 
down in astorm, and its fragments have been carried away. A picturesque 
house, contiguous to the churchyard, which, in Queen Elizabeth's lime, was 
a palace, and was visited by that sovereign, and which Gray knew as a man- 
or, has now become a dairy. All the trees of the region have, of course, 
waxed and expanded — not forgetting the neighboring beeches of Birnam, 
among which he loved to wander, and where he rright often have beei 
found, silting with his book, at some knarled wreath of " old fantastic 
roots." But, in all its general characteristics, its rustic homeliness and 
peaceful beauty, this "glimmering landscape," immortalized in his verse, 
is the same on which his living eyes have looked. There was no need to 
seek for him in any special spot. The cottage in which he once lived 
might, no doubt, be discovered ; but every nook and vista, every green 
lane and upland lawn and ivy-mantled tower of this delicious solitude is 
haunted with his presence. 

The night is coming on and the picture will soon be dark; but never, 
while memory lasts, can it fade out of the heart. What a blessing would 
be ours, if only we could hold forever that exaltation of the spirit, that 
sweet, resigned serenity, that pure freedom from all the passions of na- 
ture and all che cares of life, w hich comes upon us in such a place as this! 
Alas, and again, Alas! Even with the thought this golden mood begins 
to melt away; even with the thought comes our dismissal from its influence. 
Nor will it avail us anything now to linger at the shrine. Fortunate is 
he, though in bereavement and regret, who parts from beauty while yet her 
kiss is warm upon his lips, — waiting not for the last farewell word, 
hearing not the last notes of the music, seeing not the last gleams of sun- 



10 Grays Elegy. 

set as the light dies from the sky. It was a sad parting, but the memory 
of the place can never now be despoiled of its loveliness. As I write 
these words, I stand rgain in the cool and dusky silence of the poet's 
church, with its air of stately age and its fragrance of tleanliness, while 
the light of the western sun, broken into rays of gold and ruby, streams 
through the great painted windows, and softly falls upon the quaint little 
galleries and decorous pews ; and looking forth through the low, arched 
door, I see the dark and melancholy boughs of the dreaming yew tree, 
and, nearer, a shadow of rippling leaves in the clear sunshine of the church- 
way patn, and all the time a quiet voice is whispering, in the chambers 
of thought — 

" No fartlier sfiek his rnerits to riisclose, 

Or draw his frailties from their dread abode, 
(There they alil^e in trembling hope repose,) 
The bosom of his Father and his God." 



HISTORY OF THE POEM. 

Mackintosh says: ''Of all English poets, he was the most finished art- 
ist. He attained the highest kind of splendor of which poetical style 
seems capable." " Almost all Gray's poetry was lyrical — that species 
which, issuing from the mind in the highest state of excitement, requires 
an intensity of feeling which, for a long composition, the genius of no 
poet could support." Gray's prose is to be studied in his letters, in which 
'' he has shown the descriptive powers of a poet, and in new combina- 
tions of generally familiar words he was eminently happy." 

Not until 1742 did Gray begin seriously to write. At this time there 
were only a few considerable poets. Pope and S-vift were closing their 
careers. Gnldsmith and Cowper were not yet before the public. The 
Vicar of ^F(f/C't;/?t7^ appeared twenty-four years later. Young was just be- 
ginning to publish his only immortal work, the Night Thoughts. Thom- 
son was enjoying the >indisturbed celebrity of his Seasons, completed 1730- 
He died in 1748. Samuel John^on, several year^ older, outlived Gray a 
dozen years. They were mutually repellant throughout their lives, and 
after Gray's death Johnson damned him with faint praise and more 
censure in his Lives of the Poets. Between him and his contemporaries 
there was little friendship. Gray's personal peculiarities kept him aloof. 
If there was any inspir ilion in the times. Gray did not co'me in contact 
with it. His (pwn Muse was of too retired a nature to arouse or conmu- 
nicate any great fire. Arnold says: " Born in the same year with Mil- 
ton, Gray would have been another man ; born in the same year with 
Burns, he whuUI have been anoth r man." To which Gosse adds: " As 
it was, his genius pined away for want of nourishment in the atmosphere ; 
the wells of poetry were stagnant and there was no angel to strike the 
waters." 

The history of the Elegy is briefly as follows : The death of his uncle, 
Jonathan Rogers, in 1742, incited him to its beginning. The death of his 



History of the Poem. 11 

aunt, Mary Antrobus, in 1749, seven years after he had begun it, the 
second stimulus, led to its completion. " He finished it, as he began it, at 
Stoke Pogis, giving the last touches to it on 12th of June, 1750." "Hav- 
ing put an end to a thing whose beginning you had seen long ago," he 
writes on that day to Horace Walpole, " I immediately send it to you. 
You will, I hope, look upon it in the light of a thing with an end lo 
it, a merit that most of my writings have wanted and are like to want." 

"Walpole's enthusiasm for the Elegy in a Country Churchyard led 
him to commit the grave indiscretion of handing it from friend to friend, 
and even of distributing manuscript copies of it, without Gray's cogniz- 
ance." 

" On the loth of February, 1751, he (Gray) received a rather imperti- 
nently civil letter from the publisher of a periodical called the Magazme of 
Magazines, coolly informing him that he was actually printing his inge- 
nious poem called Reflections in a Country Churchyard, and pray- 
ing for his indulgence and the honor of his correspondence ! Gray immedi- 
ately wrote to Horace Walpole (Feb. 11): ' As I am not disposed lo be 
either so indulgent or ^correspondent as they desire, I have but one bad 
way left to escape the honor they would inilict upon me, and therefore am 
obliged to desire you to make Dodsley print it immediately (which may 
be done in less than a week's time) from your copy, but without my name, 
in what form is most convenient for him, but on his best paper and char- 
acter; he must correct the press himself, and print it without an interval 
between the stanzas, because the sense is in some places continued with- 
out them.' All this was done with extraordinary promptitude, and five 
days after this letter of Gray's, on the i6th of February, 1751, Dodsley 
published a large quarto pamohlef, anonymous, price sixpence, entitled 
An Elegy wrote in a Country Churchyard. It was preceded by a 
short advertisement, not signed, but written by Horace Walpole." 

On the margin of the MS. preserved in Pembroke College, Cambridge., 
Gray cites fifteen authorized editions between 1751 and 1753. Its pira- 
ted editions were countless. The Magazine of Magazines persisted, al- 
though Gray had been neither indulgent nor correspondent, and the 
poem appeared in the is»ue for February, published, as was then the 
habit of periodicals, on the last of that month. The London Magazine 
stole it for its issue for March, and the Grand Magazine of Magazines copied 
it ii^April.^ Everybody read it in town and country ; Shenstone, faraway 
from iw. world of books, had seen it before the 28th of March. It 
achieved a complete popular success from the very firs', and the name of 
its author gradually prept into notoriety. The success of his poem, 
however, brought him little direct satisfaction, and no money. He 
gave the right of publication to Dadsley, as he did in all other instances. 
He had a Quixotic notion that it was beneath a gentleman to take money 
for his inventions from a bookseller, a view in which Dodsley warmly co- 
incided; and it was stated by another bookseller, who, after Gray's death, 
quarreled with M-ison, (a friend designated by the poet in his will as his 
biographer,) that Dodsley was known to have made nearly a thousand 
pounds by the poetry of Gray. 



i 



12 



Gray's Elegy. 



n . „ ,1,^ TY,r,f1p<;t and care.ess mode in which that 
.<It is curious toreflect ^P°;} ^^^^^7^J.'„^^^^^^^ 
poem wasfirst circulated, X^''^^^^;^^^fi,\' '^„.Ush poem, perhaps than any 
deputation in literature ^han^^^/^^^,^^^^^^^ \fordsworth. The 

other poem in the world, ^vntten between exercised an influ- 

fame of the Elegy has ^f%^^'^_^f'l''^'^'^^ll,^, to Italy, from France to 
ence on all the poetry ^f .Europe, from Uenma >,^^ Shakespeare. 

Russia. With the exception ^J ^^[^7^;^°;;^ and imitited abroad ; and 
no English poem ^as been so ^^dely admired ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^_^ 

after more than a century of ^^f^""', 7% "."line's Le Lac, t^x^ faded 
Us copies, even the ^^ Stf^ntm^a^aTirf^city, of a melocly that 
and tarnished. ^^ ^1?°^™'' _, of a moral persuasiveness that ap- 
is not too subtle to charm e^^Lre'trica! skill that in each line proclaims 
peals to every generation an^lom^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ 

the master. The Eleg\ "^=^y '\ ^ ^^^^^ jt is the most brilliant or 

of English verse, ^"-^ P^^^l^^^^fi^^'' "ge but because it combines in 
original or Profound yric - °- ^^^^a U the qualities that go to the 
n.ore balanced perfection than any oin ^ criticism of a swarm 

production of a fine poetical ^^^^^: J^^^^^l^,^^ the boundless vogue 

.< \Ve may well leave to Us ale a poem j^^^/^.^come a part and 

'r/erora:r:'"^^P«ttCV„;;orhe;p.ece, eve„ or S„..e,p.»e. 
consislingot so tew consecutive Imes. ,k, u.est 

This account of the E.EOV i, »l-«--;t,^„ ";'S:Vf'T,;ot.! o'"; 

^J:•^e'"^^t.X:Se:Vf''l»"irrl;s4 -itte„ b, Ed„„na 

W. Oosse, published by "^'f J' •"^^^'"''"J;, „„, minds the marvel of 
„tErS''v;Src''araSut s;££us;emem^^ 

the good, fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past. 

ELEGYTO^HOM ? 

An elegy is defined as a -g of lamentation in which ihe wnle^ 
praises the life and mourns the 'l^^}^,«/;°^^enta ors say not. It is 
Sieet this close definiiion ? Many of ^f^/^^^^^'^'^the word elegy, with 
cited by rhetoricians as an illustrauon of the use o^ sentiments, 

a production where merely a tone of melancholy per% aae^ 
and grief is not actually expressed. ^^ ^^^ ^^1^. 

The word elegy is PropfX ^PP/'^J ^y^^'^^de forefathers of the ham- 
brated in it the life and the dea h of * ^h^ "^^ J^^j ^^^ depends 

let." Upon the humble character of the suDjecis oi y 



Preliminary Survey. 13 

mainly its popularity, not on its literary perfection. The Odes to Eton 
College, and Adversity, have quite as much felicity of phrase and tech- 
nical elegance, yet are scarcely read. The Elegy, so far as its expression 
is concerned, is not popular or easy to the ordinary reader. Compared 
with Longfellow's The Day is Done, or The Bridge, its style is that 
of a person who has a "strutting dignity," and is tall by walking- on 
tip-toe. It is so full of artistic perfection as to be utterly beyond the 
reach of most people when they read it first, and of a great many when 
they read it last. Yet it is readable, and the multitude do receive from 
it pleasing impressions; but their impressions come, we think, not so 
much from literary appreciation, as from the sentiment aroused through- 
out the poem, that " unhonor'd dead " are being praised, and, most 
of the time, at the expense of the more fortunate classes. 

While the " growing virtues " of this humble people, though repressed 
bv chill penury and born to blush unseen, are magnified into infinite possi- 
bilities; the haughty creatures oF luxury and pride are, by contrast, cred- 
ited with crimes unconfined, thrones reactied through slaughter, and 
quenched blushes of ingenuous shame. 

This building oneself up by pulling some one else down, is ever a pleas- 
ing sensation to the average person, and however ignoble the sentiment, 
it IS elegantly appealed to in this poem, and is really the foundation of 
much of its popularity. 

Yet, the surviving impression in the mind of the average reader is, that 
a class, hitherto neglected by those who burn incense kindled at the Muse's 
flame, are here paid a beautiful tribute by one who represents himself as 
preferring to relate their artless tale, rather than to further "heap the 
shrine of Luxury and Pride." 



PRELIMINARY SURVEY. 

Let the reader now pass through the entire structure, gathering a com- 
plete view of it as a whole, leaving the careful examination of its parts 
to another more deliberate excursion. 

The Introduction. — The first four stanzas, in which the time and place 
of the meditations are set forth, form an appropriate introduction to the 
coming discussion, the theme of which is stated in the last line of the 4th 
stanza. 

Theif Lives Described. — The daily routine of the rude forefathers is 
graphically pictured in the next three stanzas (5-7). The 5th, a lovely 
m)rning scene; the 6th, a touching evening picture; the 7th, their out- 
door pursuits. 

The Record of their Lives worthy of Attention.— \n the 8th and 9th stan- 
zas, the poet claims that these humble lives should receive the respectful 
consideration of the ambitious and the proud on the singular grounds 
that all 

" Await alike the inevitable hour ; 



14 ^^^/-f ^^^^y- 

a plea which, perhaps, is more common than forcible ; and made here 
with more of beauty than of logic. ^ ^; • . 

7h ir Names laorthy of Remembrance, though Memory has tmsed no Trophies 
oZil irrZls.^^^^^ next ten stanzas (10-19) is a popular eulogy upon 
ml a defence of, their lives, against any lack of appreciation w ch 
n" .in result from the absence of those monumental memorials which 
usually mark the tombs of honored dead. 

Yet even These are the Recipients of Memorial honors --\\^v^x^?,X\.^x^ 
.hown that the absence of " storied urn," or '• animated bust, ^ "ot to 
1 e in erpreted to their discredit, in the next four stanzas he calls atten- 
ion to the fkct that some of these poor people are moved with ins inc s 
cZmo.1 to all mankind, and have also memorials, though frail, erected to 
their names. . , , 

■ Grav Describes Himself.— 1\^Q common interpretation of the rest ot ttie 
no?m is thlforay, dropping the consideration of these humble people, 
rxioJesay sets forth his Swn 'appearance and character, as the one 
" Who, mindful of th' unhonor'd dead, 
Dost in these lines their artless tale relate. 
In the 26th and 27th stanzas he describes his life; in the 28th and 29th, 
his death and burial ; in the next three, his epitaph. 

There are those who maintain that this interpretation is entirely wrong 
nnd ih^t the e lines refer to the <' unlettered muse,'' mentioned in e 
-"i stanza In support of this opinion, it is urged that the unity of the 
poem i^ be'utifuUy'iLintained in'thus selecting the o'^^X ^^f-^y.^jf^, ^ 
ler of the hamlet as the object of description and an epitaph, ^^hilc ttie 
u'litv isutterly destroyed if we suppose Gray to ^"^denly cease hsatten. 
tions to his rude proteges, in order to thrust himself into consKleration 
anrso as t werJ, receiv; upon himself the stream of sympathies which 
he had aiVused b^ means of^hese poor people. The reasonableness of 
this view is left to the reader. 

Note to Teacher. -l.^i the class, as one 1^^^°'^' "^^^^^^J "^ -/he'v 
liminary survey " and bring it in, in outline, for a special recitation i hey 
shouTl.^of course, have no^eferenco to this text, as it is intended as a 
special help to the teacher. 

THE POEM. 

1. The curfew tolls the knell of 'parting day, 

The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea; 

The plowman homeward plods his weary way, 

And leaves the worl 1 to darkness and to me. 

PiCTURFS —Poetry ismos^ poetical when it pictures vividly. The Elegy 
is remarkable for this. Every stanza, is a word painting. Let 'he 
students point nut what they see in each one. U permuted, many of them 
will draw, on the slate, or paper, or blackboard, illustrations of the diHer- 



The Poem. 15 

ent stanzas. Attempts by the pupils to form tableaux from the poem will 
develop its imagery, and supply material for a beautiful evening pay en- 
tertainment. To encourage the pupils in these efforts, let them understand 
that the best artistic skill has been devoted to illustrating the Elegy. 

Curfew : — (Written also curfcu, and couvi'e-feu, the latter being the 
French for cover the fire.) A signal, usually by telling a bell, to warn in- 
habitants to extinguish their fires and lights, and to retire to rest. This 
wis a common practice throughout England during the Middle Ages. It 
is commonly said to have been introduced into England by William L, 
the Norman conqueror, who ordained it under severepenalties. He prob- 
ably, however, only enforced an existing and very common police regu- 
lation to that effect. It was ostensibly a precaution against conflagrations, 
which were frequent and destructive at that period, when it was the cus- 
tom to place the fire in a hole in the middle ot the floor, under an opening 
in the roof through which the smoke escaped, the houses being chiefly 
composed of wood and straw. But it was quite as likely that it was to 
prevent nocturnal brawls, and secret assemblies for planning schemes of 
rebellion against a tyrannical ruler. The severity with which William 
enforced it seems to indicate this. The absolute prohibition of lights 
was abolished by Henry I., iioo. But the practice of tolling a bell at a 
fixed hour in the evening still prevails in many parts of England and Scot- 
land. The common hour was seven, but it has gradually advanced to eight 
and nine o'clock. In Scotland ten was not an unusual hour. Its original 
significance is now, of course, entirely lost, and it serves rather the pur- 
pose of a town clock. The practice has lately been revived in its original 
force in Ireland, as a measure of the British Government to prevent noc- 
turnal risings. This revival at this time, for such a purpose, shows its 
real original import. 

Knell : — The slow notes of a funeral bell. How prettily applied to the 
dying (^7iy. 

'Parting :—i. e.. Departing. 

Lea: — A meadow, field. An old English word, spelled variously, lay, 
ley, leigh, etc.;^^ Zoyham, Hor/<y', Leighton, 'He.s.dileigh, Leigh. 

The plowman ® •■■ way: — Notice the two examples of alliteration : /V(?zy- 
man, plods ; weary way. So Longfellow, in his "Evangeline:" 

" And Id ! with summons sonorous sounded the bell from its tower." 
And again in the same : 

" As, when the air is serene in the sultry solstice of summer, 
Suddenly gathers a storm." 

The words of this line are susceptible of over twenty different posi- 
tions without destroying the rhythm, general sentiment, or rhyming word. 
Let the pupils practice. 

Prosody. — Each stanza is called a quatrain, because it consists of four 
lines. The meter is iambic pentameter, because each line consists of five 
feet (pentameter), each foot being composed of two syllables, the second 
of which is accented (iambus). 



16 Gray's Elegy. 

3. Now fades the glimm'ring landscape on the sight ; 
And all the air a solemn stillness holds. 
Save where the beetle wheels his droning flight. 
And drowsy tinklings lull the distant folds. 
Epi-HETS -Gray is celebrated for his use of epithets, that is of ad- 
iectives specially qualifymg nouns. Some of his critics say that he use 
hem re'Ss. ' xVoul/thl stanza be stronger withojU.'ghmmenng 
"solemn," "droning," "drowsy," or "distant?" Let the pupil lead 
the stanza without them. 

ra(/es.— The position of this verb is poetical. The line could have 
been written : 

" The glimm'ring landscape fades now on the sight ; " 

but how commonplace and prosy. 

Glimm-rina —To shine faintly. Pupils, look it up in dictionary, and 
mfke sentences with it. Applied to the landscape because it is dimly 
visible after sunset. 

Z.a/j(/sca/)e.— Subject of "fades." ^ 

Solemn.— A beautiful epithet, which really personifies "stillness, ior 
only a person can be solemn. . 

>1/. .-Better parse as the object of ''^oWs," because more p^^^^^^^^^ 
It permits of the inverted order of the words, and implies that "stillness, 
as a person, presides over the air. . . , , 

Sa,e .-For except. A verb originally, but a preposition here show- 
ingthe relation between the two lines "where the beetle-fold. ana 
" holds." Except is also a verb used as a preposition. 
iy/,e^e.— An interrogative adverb, modifying "wheels." 
Beetle —The May-bug, door-beetle or cockchafer which A'^s about 
on summer evenings. It grub remains in the ground three years before 
coming to its complete statt, during which time it is so voracious that it 
does great injury to the roots of grass and trees. • ,, r , 

Dronlna —A drone is a bee that does not work ; hence, a |a^y. 'f '^ f" 
low a shicgard; a sluggish fellow, hence, a sluggish monotonous, hun- 
rng sou^f L^ngfelfow speaks of the "monstrous drone of the wheel 
The Scotch call the largest tube of the bagpipe the drone. Thus dron 
ing flight" is a humming or buzzing flight. „ , ,1, 

/?roL/ .-Another very sug.^estive epithet ; adding effectually to the 
sense of quiet which the poet is throwing over the scene. ^ ^ , 

TmMnas .—Of the sheep-bells ; the oldest ram (bell-wether) of a flock 
hasabeTstrappedabouthis neck, the sound of which keeps the flock 
together. , , . , , 

/?/sfa/7f .— Who has not experienced every feature of this lovely even- 
ing scene, when, in the subdued quiet, the only sounds are those of low- 
ing herds, distant folds, droning insects, etc. 

The PiCTURE.-Let the pupils carefully pick out the objects and 
conditions added to the picture by this stanza. 



"\ 



\ 



The Poem. 17 

3. Save that from yonder ivy-mantl'd tow'r. 

The moping owl does to the moon complain 
Of such as, wand'ring near her secret bow'r, 
Molest her ancient, solitary reign. 

The Picture. — ^The ivy-mantled tower, withits owl hooting to the mo in, 
are added features to the peaceful evening scene, which was begun in the 
first stanza and which is completed in the fourth. 

Save: — As in the second stanza, a preposition, meaning fxcf//, and hav- 
ing for its object all the rest of the stanza. The complaining of the mop- 
ing owl, with the tinklings ot the distant folds and the droning flight of 
the beetle, are the exceptions to the statement that "all the air a solemn 
stillness holds." 

That: — Introductory conjunction. 

Ivy-mantl'd : — A beautiful epithet, meaning that the tower is covered 
with ivy as with a mantle or cloak. 

Moping Owl : — A \ery suitable epithet for the owl, which sits through 
the day as if dull or out of spirits, waiting for the dusk or night. Since 
its eyes are so constructed that it can see better at dusk than in full day- 
light, it chooser dark places to live in. Its solemn, moping appearance 
makes it the type of disgruntled wiseacres. 

To the moon complain : — The imagination of the poet easily interprets 
the hootings of the owl as complaints addressed to the moon, the queen 
of the night, prettily assigning as grounds of complaint the passers-by 
who disturb her, and perhaps frighten away the mice on which she feeds. 

^s .■ — Is here a relative pronoun, having for its antecedent " persons " 
understood, after "such," and being the subject of " molest." 

Her: — Antecedent "owl." 

Reign : — Here used in the sense of realm or kingdom, not of rule. 

4. Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade, 

"Where heave's the turf in many a mould'ring heap. 
Each in his narrow cell forever laid. 
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep. 

The Picture. — In this stanza is completed the beautiful, natural scene 
which forms the introduction to the subject proper of the poem. The 
objrcts which strike the eye, though faintly, are the departing day, the 
lowing herd, the lea, the plowman, the poet, the fading landscq.pe, the 
distant folds, the ivy-mantled tower of the venerable church, the moon 
lighting up the churchyard and its rugged elms, yew-tree, mouldering 
heaps, and their humble head-stones. The objects which strike the ear 
are the curfew's toll, the lowing of the herd, the droning of the beetle, 
the drowsy tinklings, the complaining of the owl — sounds which gently 
/intensify the quietness of the scene. 

Beneath: — Shows the relation of "elms" and "shade" to "sleep." 



\ 



f 



jg Gray's Elegy. 

^ / o . Note how the word " those" seats us beside the 
porw^Tf-tati^nsTporthe beautiful surroundings we ,u.etly 

'^'''''* A .v.mreen tree (Taxus baccata), allied to the pines, val- 

Yew-iree .—An evergreen ^^"^^ , ^^,^ i^ British graveyards, 

uedforitswoodortmbe . ^^^^^^^ never has an ascend- 

The American yew is a low, straggnn^ "^:A„ .^ forty feet high, with a 
7ng trunk, while the British yew-tree is th.rty to for y fe^e^^ ^ g^ . ^^^^^^_ 

trfnk of great thickness, which ^ ^n^^^^^^ ^^J, ^, least 200 to 400 

forming a large, dense shade. 1\ ^"ains^ ^ery early time for making 
years. Its wood has been ""^'^^/^^^^^ ^r kind of wood. It is very 
bows for which it IS preferred to any oth^r Kin The heart- 

Sand reckoned almost ^;|-i^,°^^^°rcl/ The%ruit k red, and was 
wood is of an orange-red . \^^'^ ^'^^.V^lZr^ot so ; the seed, however, 
long reputed poisonous, :^J^^^-j;;P7,P^;',;\rful narcotic. 

heaps ! r r .\. ^^ 

£ach —That is, each of the " forefathers. 

as in Oak/iflw, Bucking/;r7^/, etc.; lei is a cuminuu 
word mean literally IMe home. 

Forefathers .-In this word is contained the -^pect of the poeni, ^^^ 
which has added more to its popularity than all its literary 

5. The breezy call ^^ ^^^^^^^-Y^^'^"^^^ ,f,°:^.^^nt sHed, 
The swallows, twittering from the straw mi 
The cock's shrill clarion, or the echoing bom 
No more shall rouse them from their lowly bed. 
I..KO.UcxoKV.-Nowbeginsad..ipUc.oftheJivy^ft^ 
people, which is completed in this and ^^^ tT^oloHow !, .^ wonder- 

^upils'look for every feature «^^-- ^^^^^ ^^ full because of what it 
ful how full and yet brief is the picture. It lu , 
suceests ; it is brief, because suggestive. _ 

aLz, ™,/.-The fir. i™pre«ion.oMhe moving up<,„as,^^^^^^ 
son are prettily interpreted as a call, ana tne n 
" breezy " call. _ 

;;?ei§:^:e«rnti°'Sm::rr^ri.w«<. i. 64., s.,. ..s«ee^ 

is the breath of morn." 



TJie Point, 19 

^o/./j .'—Some of tlie most beautiful passages in the language are those 
descriptive of morning, and in most of these it is personified. The most 
celebrateJ of morning hymns is the one written by Bishop Thomas Ken 
(1637-1711), beginning: 

" Awake, my soul, and with thesun," 
one stanaa of which is the familiar long meter doxology, 
'* Praise 'God from whom all blessings flow," etc. 

Clarion: — A kind of trumpet which gives a shriller and clearer sound 
than the common one. It is here used metaphorically for the crowing of 
the cock. 

Horn: — Probably some hunter's horn. 

Rouse: — Point out the four subjects (call, swallow, clarion, horn) of 
this verb. 

Bed: — This, of course, refers to the bed in which the fathers slept dur- 
ing life, not to their graves. The words "'no more," in the fourth line, 
settle it. The brg«zy call, swallows, etc., had never ^f/i?/-^ roused them 
from their graves, and, hence, " no more shall rouse " would be inappro- 
oriate. It would seem unnecessary to make this, and many similar expla- 
nations, but my experience, as a teacher, has revealed the fact that even 
teachers of considerable standing will be found to argue, that "bed" 
does refer to the "narrow cell" mentioned in the fourth stanza, as well 
as for other equally erroneous views, the correction of which rcquiresonly 
one intelligent reading. 

In such passages as these, where incorrect interpretations are possible, 
let the teacher carefully withhold his own opinion and encourage pupils 
of different opinions to defend their interpretatious by conclusions drawn 
from the text. After reasonable discussion, take a vote of the class a„ to 
which is right. Assure them that there is but one possible view. If pos- 
sible, let the correct reading be reached by independent investigation 
and discussion of the class. It will be well, oftentimes, for the teacher to 
withhold his decision until the next recitation, so that the pupils may 
have further time to consider. 

These discussions and disputed interpretations are the most important 
features of the reading class. In them will be aroused a spirit of curious 
investiga ion, close interpretation and keen, original appreciation, which 
are the only possible foundations of a genuine literary taste. 

€. Por them no more the blazing hearth shall burn. 
Or busy housewife ply her evening care ; 
No children run to lisp their sire's return. 
Or climb his knees the envi'd kiss to share. 

Introductory. — The beautiful morning scene pictured in the preced- 
ing stanza is followed now with an evening home scene. Seethe cheer- 
ful fire, the busy mother, with her children, expecting the father ; his re- 
turn from the day's labors, the clamorous welcome, his complete appro- 



20 Gray's Elegy. 

priation by the children while the supper is being placed upon the table 
or the mother plies the spinning wheel. 

For: — Shows the relation between "them" and *' burn" and •'ply/ 

Them: — The rude forefathers. 

Housewife: — How words originate is illustrated in the following evolu- 
tion of " hussey " from " housewife," given by Morris. Housewife was 
sometimes written "huswife," and then contracted into " hussif," mean- 
ing a case for needles and thread ; and "hussy," or "huzzy," a wench 
woman, now used in an uncomplimentary sense, though originally not so. 

Evening care : — What is referred to here is disputed. Some say needle- 
work, others spinning, others some evening occupation. Swinton quotes 
Hales as remarking that "this isprobably the kind of phrase that caused 
Wordsworth to- pronounce the language of the Elegy unintelligible." 
Swinton also says: "Wordsworth, in the following direct manner, con- 
veys the thought which Gray thus veils : 

" ' And sbe I cherished turned her vih'd 
Beside an Englisti fire.' " 

Run to lisp : — At this point it will be well to call attention to Burns' 
celebrated poem, Cot/er''s Saturday Night, which very plainly shows the 
influence of Gray's Elecy. Let the teacher read it, or a ])ortion of it at 
a time, in connection with the Elegy. I quote the third stanza in full, 
which the teacher may, with his pupils, compare and contrast with the 
home scene of the Elegy ; 

" At length his lowly cot appears in view, 

Beneath the shelier of an aserl tree; 
Th' expectant wee things, toiirtlin", stacher through 

To meet their dart, wi' flichterin' noise and giee. 
His wee bit iuiile, blinking boimily. 

His clean hearthsiane, his ihriftie wifie's smile, 
The lisping infant prattling on his knee, 

Does a' his weary kiaiiffh and pare beguile, 
And makes him quite forget his labor and his toil," 

{Wee, little; stacher, stagger; toddliti' , walking with short steps ; y?/f.4 
tering, fluttering; ingle, lire-place; kiaiigh, anxiety.) 

Sire : — Is a French word for knight or lord. It commonly means father, 
but is often used as a title of respect, especially in addressing a king. Sir 
is an abbreviation of sire. 

To liSD — io share : — Are two infinitives, having the construction of ad- 
verbs, limiting "run" and " climb," respectively. 

7. Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield, 

Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke ; 
How jocund did they drive their team afield ! 
How bow'd the woods beneath their sturdy stroke. 

iNTRonucTORY, — Here are set forth various outdoor occupations of the 
rude forefathers. Let the pupils determine how many. Let the pupils 
translate each line into their own language. 



The Poein. 21 

To: — Shows relation between "sickle" and "yield." 

Furrow : — Used metaphorically for plow ; it is the subject of "broke." 

Stubborn: — Is treated very interestingly by Morris, as follows: Hard to 
be turned up with a plough. A stub is a short, thick stock of a tree or 
other plant, left when the rest is cut off, and is the same word as stump. 
Stubble is derived from this word, the /e being what is called a frequenta- 
tive termination, and denoting that a great many siubs are met with in 
the stubble. Stubborn means like a stub, /. g., stiff, unbending, obstinate. 

Glebe: — Ground; subject of "broke." 

How, etc.: — Note the change of sentence; the first two declarative, the 
second two exclamatory; thus giving liveliness to the stanza. 

Jocund: — An adjective used for an adverb by a common poetical license. 
Here show what " license" in the use of language means. It is the vio- 
lation of ordinary usage to meet the demands of verse or circumstances. 
Here Jocundly would have ruined the meter of the line, hence the poet 
dared to be guilty of a bad usage, knowing that any intelligent critic 
would comprehend the necessities of the case, and so not condemn. 

Afield: — Is an adverb, composed of the old English prefix a, meaning/)?, 
at or on, as seen in abed, r.Doard, <zshore, ajar (so said of a door which 
is in such a position that a slight movemen':, ajar, will close it). — Morris. 

^otr't^."— Beautifully used for " felL" 

8. Let not ambition mock their useful toil. 

Their liomely joys, their destiny obscure; 

Nor grandeur hear, with a disdainful- smile. 

The short and simple annals of the poor. 

iNTRODUCTOliY. — Two divisions of the poem are now completed. First, 
the introducti/on, including stanzas 1-4; second, the description of the 
morning {5), evening (6), and day (7) vocations of the rude forefathers, 
5-7. Now begins a succession of comparisons and contrasts between 
their lives and the lives of more pretentious classes, with shrewd hints, 
prejudicial to the latter and complimentary to the former. 

Let the/ pupils discover and enjoy these artful turns, and determine 
whether ^r not they are sophistical or really truthful. As I have said 
before, t/his skillful defence and vindication of the humbler classes is 
really tljte popular feature of the poem. 

This stanza is introductory to this line of procedure. The poet im- 
plies t|\at, as his readers have discovered the humble character of the 
theme,/ they will be disposed to turn away with impatience and disap- 
pointn/ient that he has not undertaken something more grand and heroic. 
He therefore begs these Ambitious and Grand readers not to treat with 
mockery these " homely joys," nor listen with a "disdainful smile " to 
a sim/ple narration of the every-day doings of these people of so obscure 
a des/tiny. This implication that his humble heroes are being snubbed. 



[< 



22 Grays Elegy. 

and that he is ready to magnify them in the face of sneering haughtiness, 
at once arouses spite at the "unworthy," and sympathy for "patient 
merit," 

Ambition: — Used metaphorically for "ambitious persons." The figure 
is Synechdoche. The etymology of "ambition" is curious. It means a 
desire for honor or power, but the meaning would hardly indicate its 
origin. It is from two Latin words, ambi, about, and eo, itunt, going. 
Strictly, therefore, it means "going about," referring to Roman citizens 
going up and down the city asking for votes. As such persons were clad 
in white they were called candtdati, from candidus, white. Hence our 
word, candidate. "Ambition" is objective, subject of " [to hear]." 
Grandeur: — Used for " grand persons." See " ambition." 
Toil — smile; obscure — poor: — That the thought suggests the rhyme, 
and not the rhyme the thought, is shown in these imperlect rhymes. 

9. The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r, 
* An<i all that beauty, all tbat wealth e'er gave. 

Await alike the inevitable hour : 
The paths of glory lead but to the grave. 

Introductory. — This stanza is a spirited rebuke of the implied 
haughtiness of the first stanza. In homely phrase the argument runs 
thus: " You grand people need not put on so many airs. With all your 
pride of ancestry (heraldry), of position (power;, of personal attractiori 
(beauty), of wealth, you have to die, just as do these humble people. 
Though different now, you will soon be on a level at the grave." 

Heraldry: — In countries where royalty and rank are maintained, a 
Herald is one who, going before a procession of persons, proclaims their 
coming, their rank, etc. Consequently, the Herald is familiar with the 
rank, and so the genealogies of all distinguished persons. To keep these 
correctly they are recof-ded in books. This study and record of the 
genealogies of persons of blood is very important, and takes the rank f»f , 
a science, which science is called "Heraldry." The "boast of Herald- 
ry " means, therefore, pride of ancestry. 

Heraldry, power, beauty, wea^lth: — Notice the inclusiveness of this enu- 
mer ration. First, consequence as a result of pure blood ; next, of power 
attained by merit or otherwise; next, the influence of beauty; finally and 
lowest, the claims of wealth. 

tnevitiblehour: — Death. These three lines indicate how a poet ex- 
presses the common idea, " We mu<t all die." 

Paths of glQry : — From all time, military glory has ranked bighes.t in the 
estimation of^mcn. The poet, therefore, makes it the culminationi of his 
catilogue, and to strengthen the climax gives to it a sentence and\a line. 

Conclusion. — Of all the poem, this and the fourteenth stanzas aye the , 
most quoted. This, because of its solemn impressiveness; that, bccajuseof i 
its consolation to "the unappreciated," (to which class we a// beloiig, of | 
course). 



N 



Hi 



The Poem. 23 

Some familiar American history is connected with this stanza. During 
the French and Indian War, 1754-63, the gallant Wolfe, whom the great 
Pitt singled out as the Englishman to thrash the French off the American 
continent, was, with his men, silently descending the St. Lawrence to 
capture Quebec, (which when taken, all was taken from the French,) 
" repeated, in a low tone to the other officers in his boat, those beautiful 
stanzas with which a country church-yard irspired the muse of Gray, 
and at the close of the recitation said : 'Now, gentlemen, I would rather 
be the author of that poem than take Quebec' "* In a i^-^ hours he 
and Montcalm verified the noble line, 

" The paths of glory lead but to the grave." 

10, Nor you, ye proud, impute to these the fault. 
If Mena'ry o'er their tomb no trophies raise, 
"Where, thro' the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault. 
The pealing anthem swells the note of praise. 

Introductory. — Let the teacher now request the class to read silently 
this stanza, and from their own investigation determine what line of 
procedure the poet is pursuing. Is it continuous of the preceding or a 
departure? Is he still attacking the higher classes in order to defend 
the lower ? If so, what is the peculiar boast of superiority which he 
supposes them to make? Does he reply to them in this stanza? Does 
he say anything for the humbler classes in this stanza? 

Nor: — " Let /ii)/ ambition " (8, i), "iV<?rgrandeur " (8, 3), "TVi^ryou, ye 
proud." 

You: — Subject of "impute." 

Ye proud : — Having rebuked the Ambitious (8, i), and the Grand (8, 3), 
for their supposed disdain for the humbleness of his theme, he now sup- 
poses that certain "proud" (9, I) persons would scorn these "rude fore- 
fathers," because, in the grave-yard, here, there are no magnificent 
monuments erected over their tombs, and because at their funeral there 
was no great display of ceremonial pomp. 

Impute : —Charge with, accuse of, censure for, blame for. 

Fault: — That is, the "proud" might consider it a "fault," but the 
poet soon indicates that it is not. The last thfee lines define " fault," 
and may be considered in apposition with it. 

AfemV/.- — Subject of raise. Used metaphorically for " Persons in mem- 
ory of. " It is also personified, as the capital indicates. The apostrophe 
indicates an elision of a syllable to make two, instead of three. 

O'er: — Shows relation of " tomb " to "raise." The apostrophe indi- 
cates the loss of another syllable to preserye the measure. Were these 
two words, "memory" and "over," given in full, there would be in the 
line twelve syllables, where there shoGld be only ten. Let the pupils 
read the line with and without the elisions, accenting every second 
sylla'ble. 



*Quoted by Swiuton from Lord Malaon's Histoiy </ hiiglmia. 



24 Grafs Elegy. 

Tf,eir:-That is, the forefathers whose tombs are supposed, throoghout 
the poem, to be in view. ^ , , i w v 

Trophies —Memorials of a victory. In Canterbury Cathedral West- 
minster Abbey, and many other cathedrals, celebrated dead are buried ; 
TnS in the case of warriors, their trophies, or their own arms, are placed 

over their tombs. , . ,_ r . »i,^ 

Raise —This word is very shrewdly chosen ; both with reference to the 
rhyme and to avoid commonplace. Let the pupils choose another word 
which'will express the thought and rhyme, 
jy/iere —That is, in some cathedral. 

7/„o'.._Shows the relation of " aisle " and "vault" to "swells. Ab- 
breviated for typographical purposes. Oftentimes spelled m full 

lon^-^ra^vna/s/e .-Of a cathedral or other large f ";;'=^h' ^^^^^^"^^/^^ 
what is commonly called Gothic, but is more properly known a. Early 
English Architecture.— i1/pr>7J &" Slevens. 

Fretted vault— f^r^ arched roof (vault), ornamented with fret-work, 
that Is with bands or fillets crossing each other in diflerent patterns. 

;inf/»e/n.— Asongof praise, alluding to the music which from voice 
and organ usually aids in the funeral ceremonies. 

11. Can storied urn, or ajaimated bust. 

Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath ? 
Can Honor's voice provoke the silent dusi , 
Or Flatt'ry soothe the dull, cold ear of death ? 

INTRODUCTORY.-This Stanza is another "defence " of ^^e 'rude ''fore- 
fathers" against the "faults" "imputed" to them in the preceding 
sunza (just as was the ninth a reply to' the eighth), the general charge be- 
ing, that no honors attended their burial. 

Storied urn .—In this first line two ancient methods of honoring their 
defd are mentioned : the urn and the l>ust Among the Grecians and Ro- 
mans it was custonary to burn their dead, and preserve their ashes in 
beautifuUy sculptured urns, on the outside of which was, oftenumes 
wrought in pictures and verse, the story of the life of the person whose 
ashes they contained, hence the "stoned urn." . 

This custom may be revived in modern times, as cremation (burning the 
dead) is growing in favor. 

>1«//77aferf 6usr— The sculptured bust is as familiar to these times as it 

was to ancients. Animated, that is, lifelike. 

As one feature of a public entertainment, once given by my high school 
pupils, they prepared their own original tableaux of scenes in this poem 
AU of them were serious, excepting one, which was prepared by the wit 
of the clacs. He presented himself to the audience in very dilapidated 
apparel, fondly caressing a lamp-post, which was evidently necessary to 
his maintaining an equi.ibrium. This was Ms version of an animated 
bust." 



The Poem. 25 

To: — Shows the relation between " mansion " and "call." 

Mansion: — That is, the body, which is the abode of the soul. 

Ca// : — Agrees with its subjects "urn" and "bust." 

Fleeting: — That is, departing. 

Breaili : — The soul. 

Paraphrase. — Let the pupils change into their own words this sen- 
tence, filling out the argument of the poet. They will produce something 
as follows: " Can the fact that you superior people have storied urns 
and elegant sculptures to mark your death, add one moment to your life ? 
In spite of these advantages, must you not die just as these common 
people ? " 

The Interrogative Form; — Note the superior force of the question 
over a declaration. Let the pupils change to declarative. As with this, 
so with the next and many tollSowing sentences. 

Provoke: — Used here in its primitive meaning. Fro, forth, and voco, I 
call ; hence, call Jorth. K 

Silent dust : — The dead body,; or its ashes in the urn. 

Paraphrases. — Can all the honors which those in high life receive, 
raise them from the dead ? Hence, what great advantage do they afford 
which the humbler poor do not possess when they die ? 

Or death : — This line needs no comment, except to note its beauty. 

Conclusion. — The poet evidently makes litle progress in the defence, 
as he practically repeats, though in delightful variety of phrase, the point 
made in the ninth stanza. Yet this is a beautiful quatrain. Not one word 
of it would we surrender. Call attention to the classical air given to 
the stanza by th» allusion to the ancient urn, also to the beautiful drapery 
which the poet has thrown around the commonplace references to death. 
Encourage them to utilize these allusions and images in their conversa- 
tion and compositions. To be able to use in other connections this 
"storied urn," and " animated bust," "fleeting breath," or "dull, 
cold ear,';' would imply culture which all intelligent persons would 
promptly recognize and respect. 

12. Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid 
/ Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire ; 

( Hands that the rod of empire might have sway'd 
/ Or wak'd to ecstasy the living lyre. 

Introductory. — Having made a species of defence or vindication of 
the 'I rude forefathers " as to what they were compared with more fortun- 
ate (tla'^ses, the poet mw begins an ingenious line of vindication by 
sugg(piing what they might have been, if 

Le/t the pupils discover that this argument closes with Stanza 19. Let 
the jlupils also discuss before and after the reading of this argument, 
whetlher " circumstances make the man, or man the circumstances." So 



26 



Gray's Elegy. 



help to determine the validity and force of this argument in behalf ot 
the rude forefathers. 

Neglected spot: — The church-yard. Stoke Pogis, the reputed scene of the 
poem, in which the poet is supposed 10 be while writing. It is said, 
though, that it was really written at Grantchester, a little parish near 
Cambridge. 

Celestial fire: — The gift of poetry, which was supposed to be sent from 
heaven to the gods; or it may mean talent generally. In the old 
mythology, Prometheus is said to have made the figure of man with clay, 
and to have animated it with fire, which, with the assistance of Minerva, 
he brought down from heaven. As a punishment for this, Jupiter 
chained him to Mount Caucasus, with a vulture perpetually gnawi.ig at 
his liver. — Morrts b' Stevens. 

Hence, any remarkable gift of genius possessed by a man is frequently 
spoken of as a "divine gift," " heavenl}- inspiration," "celestial fire." 

Paraphrase of first two lines. — Perhaps there are buried in this 
unknown church-yard persons who mi^ht have been poets or some other 
kind of genius. 

Hands: — Subject of "is laid." 

Rod of empire: — The sceptre of a king. 

Sway'd : — The apostrophe indicates the elision of "e," or the consoli- 
dation of the word into one syllable, to make one foot. It is understood 
in poetry, that whenever the syllable " ed " is written in full, it must be 
pronounced separately to make a foot. So if " sway'd " had been written 
swayed, the correct reader would pronounce it sway-ed. The same 
remarks app y to "wak'd," in last line. The subject of "sway'd" is 
"that" referring to hands. 

Wak'd: — Subject ''that," in third line, referring to hands. 

Living lyre: — Morris & Stevens make ihe following\ comment here: 
"Any musical instrument of the nature of a harp. By\living lyre is 
probably meant one which j;ives forth peculiarly szveet sounds uhuicr the hands 
of a skillful perjorjiier." The italicized portion we dissent frcnn. It more 
probably refers to the human heart whtn moved by the imipassioned 
eloquence of an orator. \ • 

Paraphrase of last two lines. — Or (perhaps there are buriec^ in this 
unknown spot) persons who might have been powerful rulers or popular 
orators, or, according to Morris & Stevens, talented musicians. 
, Conclusion. — Thus having suggested what these people might have 
been, we must look to thenext stanza for the "if." 



13. But Knowledge to their eyes her ample page, | 

Kich with the spoils of Time did ne'er unroll ; ' 

Chill penury repressed their noble rage. 
And froze the genial current of the soul. 

Introductory. — In this stanza are presented the reasons why t'hese 
people were not something grand, as indicated in the prece iing stan 



The Poem. 27 

Knowledge : — Personified, and so capitalized. 

Ample : — That is, including a vast number of subjects. 

Page: — Object of " unro//." 

Spoils: — As spoils are taken from an enemy in war, so are the various 
kinds of knowledge wrested in the course of time from our common 
enemy. Ignorance. 

Unroll: — Refers to the fact that books, at first, were in rolls, instead of 
in sheets, as now. " Volume'^ has the same meaning, as it is from the 
Latin, vohere, to roll. '■'■UtirolV^ agrees wiih its subject, ^'■knowledge.'''' 

Paraphrase of lines i and 2. — But they had no school privileges. 

Penury : — Personified. 

Repressed their noble rage: — Poverty crushed out their noble desires. 

Rage: — Ambition, enthusiasm, grand purpose, or desire. 

Froze : — Metaphor. 

Paraphrase of 30 and 4TH lines. — Poverty prevented the carry- 
ing out of their lofty ambitions, and chilled and checked the flow of 
their activities, as frost stays the current of a stream by freezing it. 

Conclusion. — Let the class now g've, in their own language, the sub- 
stance of this and the preceding stanza. Are lack of educational privi- 
leges and poverty insuperable obstacles to success? Is the argument 
good ? 

H. Full many a gem of purest ray serene, 

The dark, unfathomed caves of ocean bear; 
Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen. 
And waste its sweetness on the desert air. 

Many a: — The expression many a is an abbreviation for many of. Orig- 
inally it would have stood many of gems ; wawj/ being a noun. (Shake- 
speare so uses it. "A many of our bodies." Henry V , 5, 8. '' O, thou 
fond many.^^ Second part of Henry IV., i, 3. " In niany^s looks." 
Sonnets. Latimer, in a sermon, says, " A manye of us were called to- 
gether.") This expression became shortened into many d" gems, just as 
we- say What's o'clock, for What of the clock? In course of time this 
o'' came to be written a, as it was pronounced; and at last, the origin of 
the a being forgotten, people thought it incorrect to say many a gems, 
and consequently said many a gem^ — Morris &" Stevens. In parsing, 
many a may be parsed as one word and an adjective limiting gem, which 
's singular used for plural. Or many may be parsed as a noun, a as a 
preposition, meaning t;/, governing j^i-w, used for gems, in the objective. 

Of purest ray : — Perfectlv clear in color. Serene:- Look at Webster, 
and see that c/ear\s the first meaning of ji?r,?K^. Calm, unrujfled, undis- 
turbed, are second and derived meanings. 

Bear: — Contain, or possess, or produce. 

Many a flower : — See many a above. 



28 Gray's Elegy. 

Desert: — Deserted, lonely; not of a desert. 

Paraphrase. — As many brilliant gems are never discovered, and many 
beautiful flowers bloom where they never are seen, so among these rude 
people may have been many persons of brilliant parts who needed only 
to be discovered to have made a great figure in the world. 

Conclusion. — Still a defence of the people. Is it good logic? Is 
this latent genius theory a sound one ? 

15. Some Village-Hampden, that with dauntless breast 
The little tyrant of his fields withstocd ; 
Some mute, inglorious Milton here may rest. 
Same Cromwell, guiltless of his country's blood. 

Introductory. — Still the poet urges that these rude people buried 
here might have been Hampdens, or Miltons, or Cromwells, had not their 
" lot forbade." 

Hampden: — John Hampden (1594-1647) was a cousin of Cromwell, a 
leader against Charles I. in the civil war. He was not beheaded by the 
king, as is frequently said, but was slain in the battle of Chalgrove Field, 
Oxfordshire, Eng., fighting against his king. " Village-Hampden " is the 
subject of " rest." 

That: — Subject of " withstood." 

The little tyrant of his fields: — In the same manner in which John 
Hampden withstood the cruel oppression of the tyrant, Charles I., so 
may some one of these humble persons have resisted, with dauntless 
breast, the exactions of his richer or more powerful neighbor, and so 
deserved the title, " Village Hampden." 

Mute: — That is, dumb ; unable to speak or write poetry as did Milton — 
not because he was not a poet, but because he was not cultivated — his 
" lot forbade; " he was "born to blush unseen," etc. 

Inglorious: — Not disgraceful or infamous, but simply lacking glory 
and fame. 

Milton: — John Milton (1608-1674), the greatest of epic poets, the 
author of "Paradise Lost," "Paradise Regained," "L' Allegro," "II 
Penseroso," "Comus," etc., was born and died in London. "Milton" 
is the subject of " rest." 

Cromwell: — Oliver Cromwell (i 599-1658), a country gentleman, who 
became member of Parliament for Huntingdon, afterwards leader of the 
army against Charles I., after the execution of whom. Lord Protector of 
the Commonwealth (chief in authority) of England. "Cromwell" is 
tke subject of "rest." 

Guiltless: — The poet here, in implying that Cromwell was guilty, 
caters to royal opinion. English poets too frequently do this. Gray 
may be said in this instance to 

<i«c «i * heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride, 
With incense kindled at the Muse's flame. 




The Poem. 29 

It remained for Carlyle to stamp out the strong prejudice against 
Cromwell's lieroic character, and to make it fashionable, even in England, 
to praise him. 

Conclusion. — Do you believe in this "mute, inglorious Milton" 
theory ? 

16, Th' applause of list'ning senates to command, 
The threats of pain and ruin to despise, 
To scatter plenty o'er a smiling land. 
And read their hist'ry in a nation's eyes, 

i7. Their lot forbade: nor circumscrib'd alone 

Their growing virtues, but their crimes confin'd: 
Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne 
And shut the gates of mercy on mankind ; 

Introductory. — In the sixteenth stanza the poet concludes the enume- 
r.ition of grand possibilities which these humble forefathers might 
have realized had not their lot forbade. In the seventeenth and eigh- 
teenth he shows, by way of contrast, or compensation, how, by reason of 
their narrow lot, they were not exposed to the temptations, nor guilty 
of the crimes, which, he implies, too frequently beset and disgrace those 
of high estate. 

Th' applause : — The "e" of "the" is elided for the meter. "Ap- 
plause " is the object of " to command." 

Lisfning senates : — By "senate" is meant Parliament, or any popular 
or legislative assembly. Their lot forbade or prevented them from 
appearing as orators before such public bodies and by their eloquence 
commanding their attention. 

To command : — Object of " forbade." — 17, i. 

The threats of pain and ruin to despise: — So also their low estate pre- 
served them from the pain and ruin to which prominent persons are ex- 
posed, and which, if they are bold and ambitious, they despise. "To 
despise " is the object of " forbade." — 17, i. 

To scatter plenty .-—Their lot forbade their being the cause of great 
national prosperity. — " To scatter" object of " forbade." — 17,1. 

And read their history, &c. — As the King or Queen, or other great public 
characters, must read in the faces or eyes of the people the record of 
approval or disapproval of their deeds. — "Read" (to read) object of 
" forbade. " — 17, i. 

Their lot forbade: — " To command," " to despise," " to scatter," and 
(to) "read" are all the objects of "forbade." 

Circumscrib'd: — Verb, passive, indicative, past, agreeing with " virtues," 
auxiliary "were" understood. 

Growing virtues: — The growth of the virtues. 

Confin'd: — Nor were their growing virtues alone circumscribed, but 
Iheir crimes were confined by their lot. 



30 Gray's Elegy. 

Forbade : — Agrees with " lot " understood. Their lot forbade them to 
wade, &c. 

To wade through slaughter : — How many thrones have been reached 
thruugh bloodshed. *' To wade " object of " forbade." — 17, 3. 

S.'iut gates of mercy : — The cruelty of many rulers is beautifully expressed 
by this strong figure. 

IS. The struggling pangs of conscious Truth to hide, 
To quench the blushes of ingenuous Shame, 
Or heap the shrine of Luxury and Pride, 
With incense kindled at the Muse's flame. 

Pangs of conscious Truth to hide ; and blushes of ingenious Shame : — 
Their lot was so humble, their opinions were not of sufficient importance 
to arouse inquisition and persecution, to avoid which persons of promi- 
nence not only " concealed," but often " shamelessly " denied the " con- 
scious truth" within them. 

To hide and to quench are both the object of " forbade." — 17, 3. 

Shrine: — A case in which something sacred is deposited. This was fre- 
quently made of stone, handsomely carved, and contained the remains of 
some person eminent for piety and valor. Pilgrims formerly visited 
these shrines in great numbers, and deposited on them valuable ofiFerings 
of gold, jewelry, etc. The shrine of Thomas a' Becket, in Canterbury 
Cathedral was thus adorned with gold and jewels, to the sum of nrany 
pounds. Morris &° Stevens. Canterbury Tales are the stories which 
Chaucer supposes he and his fellow-pilgrims told for mutual entertainment 
while on their way to visit the shrine of Thomas a' Becket. 

Incense: — Is fragrant materials frequently burned in censers before 
shrines, especially in Catholic services, before the shrines of Mary and 
Christ. 

Afuse's flame: — The ancient poets personified the various intellectual 
exercises of mankind under the name of Muses. These were said to be 
the daughters of Jove and Mnemosyne, t. e., Memory. Some say there 
were three mu-es : Memory, Song and Meditation. Others say there 
were nine, viz : History, Trngedy, Comedy, Use of Flute, the Lyre, the 
Lute, Heroic Verse, Astrology and Rhetoric. The poet here alludes to 
those who debased the art of poetry by writing, in hope of reward, flat- 
tering verses in praise of persons who were addicted to habits of luxury^ 
and pride. — Moiris dr" Stevens, 

As for instance Gray, in the fifteenth stanza, when he toc'ies to the 
crown by representing Cromwell a? guilty of his own country's blood. 
The English poets are much more frequently open to the charge than the 
American. While this continent was agonizing for liberty, Tennyson 
was apparently unconscious of the struggle, as he has always been of such 
struggles in England. On the other hand, there is no American poet but 
has his poems on freedom. 






The Poem. 31 



Suppressed Stanzas. 



In the first MS. of this 'poem, Gray had inserted between the l8th and 
the 19th stanzas the following, which he afterwards omitted : 

re. The thoughtless world to majesty may bow. 
Exalt the brave, and idolize success ; 
But more to innocence their safety owe. 
Than power or genius e'er conspir'd to bless. 

h. And thou, who, mindful of th' unhonor'd dead. 
Dost, in these notes, their artless tale relate. 
By night and lonely contemplation led. 
To wander in the gloomy walks of fate, 

c. Hark ! how the sacred calm, that breathes around, 
Bids ev'ry fierce, tumultuous passion cease ; 
In still, small accents whisp'ring from the ground 
A grateful earnest of eternal peace. 

il. No more, with reason and thyself at strife. 

Give anxious cares and endless wishes room ; 
But, through the cool, sequester'd vale of life. 
Pursue the silent lesson of thy doom. 

Stanza a : — Is a beautiful and logical conclusion to the course of thought 
in the two preceding stanzas and the 19th, which it should follow; and 
one cannot feel content that it is omitted. 

Stanza b : — Was moulded into stanza 24, where it plainly is in better 
place. 

Stanza c : — Is most exquisite. It is the very embodiment of the holy 
calm that breathes around and whispers from the ground of the quiet 
churchyard. Yet, it is not in unity with the stanzas adjacent to it. How 
appropriately it might follow the 3d stanza. Let the pupils learn it in 
this connection. 

Stanza d : — This stanza has been recast partly into the 19th. 

19. Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife. 
Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray ; 
Along the cool, sequester'd vale of life 
They kept the noiseless tenor of their way. 

Introductory. — Having shown how their lot circumscribed their 
virtues (16) and confined their vices (17, 18), the poet concludes this 
view with a pretty description of their quiet life. 

Far: — Is an adjective in the predicate with [being] understood, and has 
no connection with " stray." The idea is: " [They being] far from the 
madding crowd's ignoble strife, their wishes never learned to stray." 

Madding : — Not maddening, but raging, excited. 



32 Gray's Elegy. 

Sequester'd : — Secluded, retired. 

Tenor : — Course, path. 

Conclusion. — This stanza concludes the series of reflections upon this 
rude people in so far as it bears upon their lives, as suggested by their 
graves, in the grave-yard in which the poet is supposed to be resting. 
Let the class review the points made by the poet in behalf of this humb e 
people, beginning with 5th stanza: 

1. Description of their lives. (5, 6, 7.) 

2. Their title to consideration from the ambitious, grand, &c. (8.) 

3. Equality of all before deaih. (9.) 

4. Their lack of costly monuments not important. (10, II.) 

5. What they might have been for good had their lot not forbade. (12-16.) 

6. What they were not that was bad because of their lot. (17, 18, 19.) 

no. Yet e'en these bones from insult to protect, 
Some frail memorial siill, erected nigh. 
With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture deck'd, 
Implores the passing tribute of a sigh. 

Introductory. — The poet now returns to the thought of the roth 
stanzi, where he insists that it should not be imputed as a fault to these 
people, because they have no costly monuments, &c., to decorate and 
honor their last resting places. 

Havinsj in the intermediate stanzas reviewed their lives in the light of 
thesi and other supposed difficulties, he now comes again to the con- 
sideration of the pLin memorials which have been erected over their 
graves. 

These bones : — That is, the bones of these rude forefathers. " Bones " 
is the object of "to protect." 

From: — Shows relation between "insult" and "protect." 
To protect: — Infiaitive with construction of adverb, limiting "erected." 
Memorial: — That is, the wooden tablet or "head-board" on which 
were painted, or possibly carved (sculptured), the name, years, &c., of 
the deceased. " Memorial" is the subject of "implores." 

Still. — The disposition of this word is various. A majority of the 
texts have no comma after "still," in which case "still" is an adverb, 
modifying "erected"; meaning that the frail memorial still stands nigh. 
In the " McGuffey's Sixth Reader, Revised," it is punctuated as above, 
a commx following "still," separating it from erected, and making it 
modify "implores" in the fourth line. This is the better view. 

Erected : — Participle, with construction of an adjective, limiting "me- 
morial." 

{l^/Y/; .-—Shows relation of "rhymes" and "sculpture" to "deck'd." 

Uncouth: — Awkward, inelegant. 

Sculpture: — The rude carvings of angels, Sac, on the head-board. See 
" memorial." 



The Poem. 33 

Z?ecA''(/;- -Participle, with construction of adjective, limiting "memo- 
rial." 

Implores : — Agrees with the subject " memorial." 

Passing: — How prettily this word, which really modifies "persons" 
understood, is made to modify " tribute." That is, instead of saying 
" Implores the tribute of a sigh from persons passing by," the poet con- 
solidated the whole thought within the limits of his line and his meter. 

Paraphrase. — Although no costly monuments decorate these graves, 
yet each one has erected at its head some frail memorial, bearing upon it 
rude paintings and carvings, which protects from insult and begs for con- 
siderate attention from those who pass by. 

Conclusion. — The description begun in this stanza is completed in the 
next. 

21. Their name, their years, spelt by th' unletter'd muse. 
The place of fame and elegy supply ; 
And many a holy text around she strews, 
That teach the rustic moralist to die. 

Introductory. - In this and the preceding stanza, the poet beautifully 
describes the plain memorials which mark the graves of these humble 
persons. In the preceding he indicates the crude sculpturing upon the 
head-board. In this, he mentions the words probably painted on the 
^boards. These consist of (i) the name of the deceased, (2) his birth and 
death and age [years], (3) some sacred quotation suitable to" the person. 

Their: — The rude forefathers. 

Name: — One of the subjects of "supply." 

Yearc • — That is, the date bf birth, death, and their age, probably. 
Years is another subject of "supply." 

Spelt: — This is a good word here for two reasons: (i) there is no other 
suitable word of one syllable such as the meter requires; (2) it indicates, 
possibly, the illiterate character of the spelling and writing. 

Th': — The "e" is elided to make one syllable or foot of "th'un." This 
line is a marvel of metrical ingenuity. 

Unletter'd:— The "e" is elided for metrical purposes, it being under- 
stood that unless it is thus marked it is to be pronounced. 

Muse : — See stanza l8. By the " unletter'd muse " is meant the writer of 
the "uncouth rhymes," (29, 3,) which are found upon the head-boards. 

Place: — Object of "supply." 

Fame and elegy : — That is, as indicated in stanzas 10 and 12. " Elegy " 
is a funeral song. 

Text: — The quotation, usuall'^ from the Bible, on the head-board. 
Object of "strews." 

She: — That is, the "muse,'' line I. 



r' 



34 Grays E^fgy- 

Teach: — Is plural, agreeing with the idea of plurality given to the 
singu'ar noun "text," its subjict, by the adjective "many a." la 
stanza l8 — " Full many a flower is born to blush," &c., " many a " has 
a singular force, which is probably the right. If so, "teach " is plural 
by poetic license; as, if it were singular, " teaches," it would spoil the 
meter of the line. 

Rustic: — Belonging to the country, rather than the town. 

Moralist: — He who stops to read the texts and to moralize upon them. 

22. For who, to dumb forgetfulness a prey. 

This pleasing, anxious being e'er resign'd. 
Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day. 
Nor cast one longing, ling'ring look behind ? 

Introductory. — Further discussion of the fact that e'en these humble 
bones have some fond memorial erected over them to protect from insult 
and implore a tribute of a sigh. 

Paraphrase. — For who is there who is so far a prey to dumb forgetful- 
ness as to resign this pleasing, anxious being, or leave the warm precinct 
of the cheerful day, without casting behind him one longing, lingering 
look : or, who is so indifferent to life as to die without a regret? 

For: — Not only have the dead of these humble people received some 
attention from those they leave behind them, but who is there who, when 
he dies, does not look back with satisfaction to the possibility of receiving 
such attentions? 

To: — Shows the relation Vjetween [being] understood and "forgetful- 
ness." 

Swinton, in his Masterpieces of English Literature, p. 20I, para- 
phrases this as follows: " Whoever resigned this pleasing, anxious being 
[life] as a prey to dumb forgetfulness?" Thus making "to" show the re- 
lation between "forgetfulness" and "resigned." Thi» is evidently a slip 
which might be excused in a Sixth Reader Class, but hardly in so emi- 
nent an author and critic. 

The idea is, of course, " Who, being a prey to dumb Forgetfulness, e'er 
resigned," etc., or left, etc. 

WAo; —Subject of "resigned," "left" and "cast." 

Forgetfulness : — Here personified as a monster preying upon the mind, 
destroying all recollections of life. How suitable is the epithet " dumb!" 
"What one forgets will, of course, never be spoken of. 

Prey : — Is nominative absolute, with participle [being] understood. 

Pleasing, anxious : — Fitly describing life. 

Being— resign'd :~D\gA. 

fer .-—Adverb modifying both "resigned" and "left." 

Left * ■•■■■ day : — Another expression for " died." The pupils should be 
encouraged to use, in their own compositions, both this and the preced- 
ing line as delicate euphemisms for death. 



f 



Tlu Poem. 35 

Prec/ncfe;— Regions. The precincts of the warm daylight are to the 
regions of cold darkness as life is to death. 

Longing, fing'ritig : — Note the pleasing alliteration. See Stanza i. Let 
the pupils look for and gather the examples of alliteration in the poem 
when it has been read through. 

Conclusion.— The thought of this stanza is continued and completed in 
the next. 

X3. On some fond breast the 'parting soul relies, 
Some pious drops the closing eye requires ; 
E'en from the tomb the voice of Nature cries, 
E*en in our ashes live their wonted fires. 

Introductory. — The preceding stanza is the general statement of 
which this is the particular ; that is the abstract, this the concrete. 
Which is the more eft'ective and affecting ? 

'Patting : — For departing. See Stanza 1. 

Relies ;— No one is so indifferent as not to desire, at least, some fond, 
affectionate breast on which to rely or lean. 

^Parting soui — closing eye: — Two more pretty euphemisms for death. 

Pious: — How neatly this solemnizes the picture with holy covering of 
religion. 

Drops: ~Tea.rs, which, the poet says, no one is so far a prey to dumb 
forget fulness as not to desire to have shed for him. 

Requires : —This word may have been sought for, as a suitable rhyme 
for "fires," It certainly is better than "desires," because it is not so 
common place, and is more energetic, peremptory. 

E'en from the tomb \ * cries: — This desire not to be forgotten after 
death, which is so touchingly recognized in these " frail memorials," 
seems to be a voice of Nature, speaking from the tombs themselves. 

Ashes: — Remains, alluding to the ancient practice of cremation or 
burning the dead. See Stanza ii, <• Storied urn." 

Live : — Agrees with fires. 

Wonted : — Accustomed. 

Fires .'^Aspirations, am_bitioRS, hopes and desires. 

E'en our ashes * * pious : — These frail memorials, with what is written 
on them, give continued life— a kind of immortality, to the hopes and 
aspirations of those whose ashes lie within the tombs. 

Conclusion, — This stanza really concludes the poem, so far as it is an 
Elegy upon these humble people, the remaining portion being devoted 
by the poet to himself. It ends where it began, by commenting upon 
the objects before him in the graveyard. 

Let the class glance back over the whole ground passed over, and pass 
in pleasant review: The evening scene of the stanzas, 1st— 2d; the 



36 Grays Elegy. 

church, 3d ; the graves of the forefathers in the church-yard, 4th ; the 
morning scene, 5th; the home scene, 6th ; the out-door life, 7th; ihe 
defence of their humble lives, 8th — 19th; the appreciative description of 
their grave decoraiions and memorials, 20th — 23d. 

if4. For thee, who, mindful of th' unhonor'd dead. 
Dost in these lines their artless tale relate. 
If 'chance, by lonely Contemplation led. 
Some kindred spirit shall enquire thy fete, 

25. Haply, some hoary-headed swain may say : 

Introductory — Having devoted himself to these humble people, the 
poet now allows his tkoughts to flow in a purely personal channel, and 
makes himself his theme. He wonders if when he is laid within this 
churchyard, some one, with habits and disposition similar to his own, 
with his love of solitude and lonely refiec'ions, will visit this place as he 
is visiting it now, and possibly enquire about him. 

For: — Shows relation between "thee" and "say," (25, r) i.e., "Some 
hoary-headed swain may say for thee." 

Thee: — The poet himself. This is the usual interpretation, but a good 
argument can be made for the interpretation that " thee " refers to the 
unlettered muse mentioned in stanza 21, as follows: 

First. The poet would not be so egotistical as ta moke a poem, the 
special merit of which is that it is mindful of dead who would otherwise 
be unhonored, culminate in a conceited celebration of his cv n personal 
peculiarities and eccentricities. 

Second. The unity of the whole poem would seem to ler jand that the 
artless tale of these unhonored dead should finl its appr jpriate climax in 
the special consideration of the only literary character jf their number, 
namely, the "unlettered muse." ' 

Third. The description given by the "hoary-headed swain " of "thee" 
is a most graphic account of a local oddity, possessing sufficient literary 
ability to compose a rhyme or two for the tombstones ; commanding by 
this ability the respect of the unlettered community, as he Avould, also, 
arouse their curiosity, and even a superstitious reverence not unmixed 
with sympathy, by his solitary, aimless life ; yet retaining, withal, their 
sincere love by his meagre but kindly benevolence. 

Foivlh. A careful study of the poem, as it stands, will discover no in- 
superable obstacle to this interpretation. The suppressed stanzis furnish 
Dositive evidence that the pot t did refer to himself in these last stanzas. 
The connection of the two lines: 

^ "Ajid thou, who, mindful of th' unhonor'd dead, 

Dost in these notes their artless tale relate," 

in stanza b, of the suppressed stanzas, and their reconstruction and intro- 
duction into this, leave no doubt as to the author's intention. 

On ihe other hand, it may l>e urged that the personal element thus intro- 
duced into the pDem gives it a genuine flavor that it must otherwise have 



The Poem. 37 

lacked, and which has really maintained its popularity. That a person of 
Gray's talents and celebrity should yield himself to the public in a charac- 
ter of such loneliness and melancholy, and so practically make himself one 
of this humble people ; and that he should prepare for himself an epitaph 
of such modest and yet touching simplicity; — all this, accompanied with 
the plaintive evidence of the sincerity in these u'-terances which his pecu- 
liar life and habits afforded, gives^ tp_thejdiolej)oeni that color of sadness 
which, Poe maintained, appeaTs to the pxofaujidest sentiment of the hu- 
man heart and affords the surest and most enduring claim upon its sym- 
pathies. 

Note to the Teacher. — These two interpretations should afford an 
occasion for a very profitable debate in the class. In their efforts to main- 
tain their views, the pupils will give the poem a searching investigation 
which nothing else could arouse, and, at the same time, will give them- 
selves practice in the original expression of their thoughts, which is the 
more valuable because spontaneous, and in the heat of conflicting opin- 
ions. 

In the management of this discussion, the teacher should enforce all 
the forms of parliamentary usage, and strive to array the class on sides 
chosen without bias of any sort from himself. 

Nothing so greatly forestalls and prevents all original thinking and talk- 
ing, on the part of the pupils, as the teacher habitually deciding all 
such questions dogmatically, before independent judgment and expres- 
sion is indulged in by the pupils. The teacher should always reserve 
his decisions until a majority of his class have studied, and thought, and 
talked themselves to the right conclusions. 

Who .-—Subject of " dost." 

Mindful : — Try to substitute another word. 

Unhonor'd : — Not dishonored. 

These lines : — That is, this poem. 

Artless : — The force of this word is really upon " relate" rather than 
upon "tale." In other words, the poet speaks of his own poem as an 
"artless" unstudied, unpretentious effort. It took him seven years to 
make it so. V 

'Chance : — For perchance, an elision for metricaUeffect, as in " 'part- 
ing,'' I, I. It modifies " inquire." "* 

Contemplation : — How pretty the personification indicated by the capi- 
tal. 

l-ed : — Has the construction of an adjective, limiting "spirit." The 
alliteraiion of "lonely" and "led" is pleasing. 

Kindred Spirit : — That is, some person who has habits similar to those 
here ascribed by the poet to himself and actually exemplified while in the 
grave-yard, indulging in the reflections which go to make up this poem. 

Paraphrase.— If some kindred spirit, led by lonely contemplation, shall 
chance to inquire concerning the fate of thee who hast remembered 



38 Grafs Elegy. 

these humble people hy writing this unostentatious story about them, 
possibly some hoary-headed swain may say for thee : 

This includes, of course, the tirst line of the next stanza. 

95. Haply, some hoary-headed swain may say : 

" Oft have we seen him at the peep of dawn. 
Brushing, with hasty steps, the dews awray. 
To meet the Sun upon the upland lawn. 

Introductory. — With the second line of this stanza begins the descrip- 
tion by Gray of himself, as uttered by the hoary-headed swain. It con- 
tinues to the epitaph, concluding with the 29th stanza. 

Haply: — Perhaps, limits "say." 

Hoary-headed : — Gray-headed. Hoar frost is white frost, hence a head 
white with age is frosted or hoary. 

Swain: — An old English word for countryman 

We : — The people who live in the vicinity of the grave-yard, of whom 
the speaker is one. 

Him : — The poet. Objective, subject of " [to be] brushing." 

Peep of Dawn : — How pretty for the break of day ! 

Brushing : — This is the strong word of the line. Infinitive, object of 
" seen." 

To meet the Sun : — To see him rise. "To meet " has the construction 
of an adverb, limiting "[to be] brushing." 

Upland : — Sloping. 

Lawn : — The old meaning was meadow, but now, a grassy plot in front 
of a house. 

Conclusion. — Thehabit of taking early morning walks was one of Gray's 
peculiarities. 

Suppressed Stanza. 

Fallowing Stanza 25. 
e. " Hiin have we seen the greenwood side alonar, 
"While o'er the heath we had our labor done. 
Oft as the woodlark piped herfarewell song. 
With wistful eyes pursue the setting Sun. 

Introduction — In the first MS. this verse followed the 25th stanza, 
which it balances beautifully. In that, the poet meets the Sun at the 
peep of dawn ; in this, he pursues the setting Sun; in that, brushing the 
dews away; in this, while o'er the heath we had our labor done, and as 
the woodlark piped her farewell song ; in that, upon the upland lawn ; in 
this, the greenwood side along. 

Thus, all the points of the morning walk in the 25th are exactly compli- 
mented by corresponding points of the evening walk in this stanza, except 
that two features of the evening are given here while only one is there. 



The Poem. 39 

This is due to the lack of a line in the 25th, or an extra line in this, the 
2d line affording the extra item. This line was also probably the cause of 
the stanza being thrown out. 

It would seem as if the stanza should have followed the 26th, rather than 
the 25th, as by that arrangement the morning, noon and evening scenes 
would have appeared in order. 

The 27th is probably intended as the evening walk, and would seem to 
be a substitute for this. It includes, at any rate, the neighborhood of the 
"greenwood side." The repetition of this feature here may also have 
led to its sacrifice there. 

What rhetorical courage the poet exhibited in thus consigning to obliv- 
ion these beautiful lines, rather than mar, in the least, the symmetry of the 
poem ! 

Him : — Objective, subject " [to] pursue." 

Greenwood : — Object of along. 

Whi/e * * done : — This probably means " When we were coming over 
the heath after our day's labor had been finished," or "after we had done 
our day's work over, or beyond, the heath." This ambiguity was doubtless 
the objection to the line. 

Oft: — That is, every evening. It limits "seen" and "piped," as a 
conj unctive adverb. 

I/Vith : — Shows relation of " eyes" to " pursue." 

Pursue: — "[To] pursue," infinitive, with construction of noun, object 
of " seen." 

Conclusion. — The teacher may well give sufficient time to these suppress- 
ed stanzas. They are "behind the scene" affairs, which are always inter- 
esting — especially as connected with any of our popular poems. They 
also indicate by what scrupulous rigor of rhetorical pruning immortality 
is secured to literary effort. 

26. " There, at the foot of yonder nodding beech. 

That wreathes its old fantastic roots so high. 
His listless length at noontide would he stretch. 
And pore upon the brook that babbles by— 

Introductory. — Even at noon-time would he loiter solitarily in the 
wood. 

There: — Limits " stretch " and "pore." 

^t : — Shows relation between "foot" and "stretch." 

Nodding .-—Waving. 

Wreathes .-—How much better than twists. 

Fantastic : — Strange, curious. Every lover of the woods has repeatedly 
re ilized the beauty of this description of the beech, and quoted it with 
never-ceasing satisfaction. 

Listless : — Not listening, hence, inattentive, idle. 



40 Grays Elegy. 

Pore .'—To look closely. 

Babbles : — This word exemplifies the figure o^ onomatofaa — the use of a 
word (or words) the sound of which is Hkc the sound described. Bang, 
bleat, flash, murmur, rumble, smash, are a few of the many familiar ono- 
matopoeic words in the English. 

Conclusion. — The author here again describes his own habits. 

at. " Hard by yon wood, now smiling, as in scorn, 

Mutt'ring his wayward fancies, he would rove ; 
Now drooping, woful-wan, like one forlorn. 
Or craz'd with care, or cross'd in hopeless love. 

Introductory. — This stanza is of the evening, as the two preceding 
are, respectively, of the morning and noon. See suppressed stanza ^. The 
stanza is remarkable for the words which describe the varying moods of 
the poet. Let the pupils pick them out. 

Hard : — Close, limits " by yon wood." 

Smiling, mutt'ring, drooping, woful-wan, craz'd, cross'd :—A\\ limit 
' he," 1. 2. 

He would : — Not "would he," because it would be repeating the inver- 
sion of 26, 3. 

Woful-wan : — Thus the poet wrote it. In many texts it is printed as two 
simple words, but in none with a comma between. The poet intended 
it as a compound adjective, which is pretty as well as peculiar. To make 
two words, especially with a comma between, would be comparatively 
common place. 

Craz'd, care, cross'd : — Note the alliteration. 

Conclusion. — The description of the wandering habits of the poet is 
complete with this stanza. 

SH. " One morn I miss'd him on the 'eustom'd hill. 
Along the heath, and near his favorite tree : 
Another came ; nor yet beside the rill. 
Nor up the lawn, nor at the wood was he. 

Introductory. — Note how rapidly, yet gracefully, the narrative pro- 
ceeds. 

Morn : — Object of [upon]. Upon a certain morning. 

' Custom' d : — For accustomed. See " 'parting," i, I. 

/////.—Where in the preceding stanza did he mention "hill;" so 
"heath," "tree," "lawn" and 'wood." 

Another: — Another [morn] came. 

Nor : — For " and not ; " thus, '• and yet he was f>o^ beside the rill." 

Conclusion. — The secluded life of the poet is here forcibly indicated. 
How he died, or where, the "swain" could not tell. All he knew was 
the favorite spots were not haunted bytheir accustomed visitor. 



TJie Poem. 41 

29. " The next, with dirges due, in sad array, 

Slow through the church-way path wt saw him borne. 
Approach and read (for thou canst read) the lay, 
'G-rav'd on the stone beneath yon aged thorn." 

Introductory. — Let the pupils note how much of incident and detail 
of description is compressed in these lour lines. The funeral scene in the 
first two, and the grave-yard scene in the last two, would fill two elabo- 
rate canvases of an artist. 

The next: — The next morning. 

Dirges : — A dirge is a funeral song. 

Due: — Appropriate; that is, to the person and occasion. 

Slow: — An adjective, used by poetical license for the adverb slowly. 
It would not be allowable in prose. 

Him: — Objective, subject of "[to be] borne." 

T/iOU : — Antecedent is '-kindred spirit," 24, 4. In reading, emphasize 
so as to imply that the hoary-headed swain could not read. 

Lay : — The epitaph which follows. 

'Grav'd: — For engraved. See "'parting," i, i. 

Stone : — Head-stone. 

Thorn: — Probably a hawthorn. It may be a holly tree. One still 
grows at the foot of Gray's grave, a leaf from which, enclosed in a beau- 
tifully illustrated volume of the Elegy, was presented to the author a 
few >ears ago, by a former pupil, with the f.jllowing inscription : " Eng- 
lish holly leaf (Christmas green) taken from a shrub growing at the f6ot 
of Gray's grave, near the "ivy-mantled" church, at Stoke Pogis, 
not far from Windsor, and in sight of Eaton's classic walls and turrets. 
July 17, 1883" The leaf of the holly is spined, and the shrub could 
be properly spoken of as a thorn. 

Conclusion. — This stanza completes the remarks of the hoary-headed 
swain to the kindred spirit begun 25, 2, all of which is the object of 
"say," 25, I. 

These sad incidents in the life of one devoted to this humble people 
form a most appropriate closing to this account of their lives. Would 
it be more touching, could we but feel that stanzas 24-32 were dedicated 
to the " unlettered muse," a particular individual of the general class 
upon whom the preceding stanzas were bestowed ? 

Suppressed Stanza. 

Fo {owing Stanza 29. 
/. There, scatter'd oft, the earliest of the year. 

By hands unseen, are showers of violets found; 
The red-breast loves to build and warble there. 
And little footsteps lightly print the ground. 



42 Grays Elegy. 

Introductory. — Mason, the friend and biographer of Gray, says: "This 
beautiful stanza, which was printed in some of the first editions, was 
afterwards omitted by Gray, because he thought it was too long a paren- 
thesis in this place." May not some personal feelings have been mixed 
with these literary considerations? 

r/fere;— At the grave ; limits " are found." 

Scatter' d : — Limits "showers (of violets). " 

Earliest: — Limits "violets." 

By : — Shows relation between "hands" and "scattered." 

Unseen: — Adjective, limiting "hands." 

Conclusion. — These sweet lines should never become separated from 
the poem. 

30. Here rests his head upon the lap of Earth, 

A youth to Fortune and to Tame unknown ; 
Fair Science frown'd not on his humble birth, 
And melancholy mark'd him for her own. 

Introductory. — This and the two following stanzas were separated by 
Gray from the preceding with the title " Epitaph;" which means an in- 
scription on a tomb, from the Greek e-i^i, upon, and r<i^oj-, a tomb. 

His: — Antecedent "youth." 
" Lap of Earth: — Ihe poet here speaks of the Earth as his mother, in 
allusion to the Scriptural account of the Creation of Man from the " dust 
of the ground," and represents himself as sleeping the sleep of death, 
with his head resting upon her lap, after the manner of a little child. — 
Stevens dr Morris. 

KouM;— Subject of " rests." 
•• Science frown'd not, efc;— That is, though of humble birth, he received 
a good education. 

Humble birth : — The poet's mother was a milliner, and from that busi- 
ness supported herself, and kept her son at college. She was separated 
from her husband on account of his cruelty. 

Mark'd : — In allusion to the custom of marking cattle. 
"Melancholy * * * for her own : — The poet's melancholy disposition is 
thus indicated. 
,.Conclusion. — In this stanza is set forth the poet's inner life. 

31. Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere, 

Heav'n did a recompense as largely send : 
He gave to mis'ry all he had— a tear ; 
He gain'd from Heav'n ('twns all he w sh'di a friend. 

^Introduction. — Here his outward life is indicated, and most beautifully 
added are the allusions to his future state. 



Bounty : — Charity, liberality. 



\ 



The Poem. 43 

As largely : — The common place adjective large, modifying " recom- 
pense," is neatly displaced by this adverb, limiting "send," and at the 
same time the demands of the metre are ingeniously met. 

Bounty — tear ; sincere — friend : — Let the pupils show how the last two 
lines are a particular statement of which the first two are the general. 

Conclusion. — This is the most ingenious stanza in the poem. 

32. No farther seek his merits to disclose. 

Or draw his frailties from their dread abode, 
(There they alike in trembling hope repose,) 
The bosom of his Father and his God. 

Introductory. — The highest test of any effort is its finale. Of the many 
masterly strokes of this poem, this stanza, as a culminating, finishing 
touch, is perhaps the most matchless. 

How deftly does he relieve himself of his theme, in the first two lines; 
and with what dignified composure does he, in the last two, lead us into 
and leave us in the solemn presence of a " Father and a God." 

Merits: — Object of "disclose." 

To disclose : — Object of " seek." 

Dread : — Venerable in the highest degree, inspiring awe ; as, dread sov- 
ereign. The difference between dread and /ear is distinctly implied in the 
familiar lines : 

" Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings. ' 

Abode: — The "dread abode*' is the "bosom of his Father and his 
God." 

There: — That is, in their dread abode. 

'They: — That is, his " merits " and " frailties." 

Bosom: — Objective, in apposition with "abode." 



44 Grafs Elegy. 



OUTLINES OF GRAY'S ELEGY. 



Having completed the reading of the poem, the class may, as a means of 
review, be required to prepare a careful outline, something like the 
following : 

l^ Introduction, 1-4. The circumstances suggesting the Elegy. 
1 2 Time and general surroundings, 1-2. 
2^ Special surroundings, 3-4. 

i^ The church. 2- The grave-yard. 

32 Theme announced, 3-1. 

2^ The Elegy proper. The rude forefathers, 5-19. 
1 2 Their lives, 5-19. 

1 3 Description of, 5-7. 

r' Morning scene, 5. 2* Evening scene, 6. 3* Day 
scene, 7. 
2^ Comments upon, 8-19. • 

1* Though poor, worthy, 7. 
2* Equal with the rich in death, 9-II. 
3* General defence ; lack of opportunities, 12-19. 
I' Their virtues circumscribed, 12-16. 
2^ Their crimes confined, 17-19. 
2^ Their burial place, 20-24. 

1 3 Description of, 20-21. 
2^ Comments upon, 22-23. 
32 Conclusion — the Poet, 24-32. 
i' His life, 24-27. 
2^ His death, 28-29. 

33 His epitaph, 30-32. 



Concluding Suggestions. 45 



Co.XLUDING SUGGESTIONS. 



The Elegy in Prose. — After the recitation upon the outline, and reviewing 
by means of it the course of the poem, assign as the next lesson : To 
write the whole poem in prose ; in other words, with the poem before 
them, to paraphrase it completely. At the next recitation hear a few of 
the-^e paraphrases read ; collect them all ; now ask the pupils to write, with- 
out notes or the text of the poem, as creditable a paraphrase as possible 
in fifteen minutes. 

The Elegy Memorized. — After all the drill, it will be found that the 
most of the pupils have, without special effort, committed most of 
the poem. It is to be supposed that the teacher, through the whole 
course of study ot the poem, has drilled and encouraged them to this end 
by frequent repetitions. As a next lesson, let the pupil prepare to recite 
it orally, and to write it from memory. This will not be burdensome, 
now. If there are some who cannot commit it, do not insist. No one 
should memorize this poem who does not enjoy memorizing it. At the 
next recitation hear successive pupils recite successive stanzas, letting 
those who wish take turn-;. As each stanza is recited, drill the whole class 
on it. Then let some one who could not, try it ; so on till the whole poem 
is reviewed. Now let the pupils write the poem from memory. Take 
standing by subtracting 3 from loo for each stanza o;nitted. For a closer 
lest on certain stanzas, let one be written at a time. In computing stand- 
ing, count each capita', each punctuation mark, the spelling of each word 
as a point ; subtract one for each one of these points missed, from whole 
number of points, annex two cyphers to remainder and divide by whole 
number of pi ints. The result is, of course, the standing. 

The Elegy in Prose by Stanzas. — As another lesson, assign to each pupil 
a single stanza as a theme for a written essay. The relation of the stanza 
to the adjacent ones, the explication of the interesting points, the state- 
ment of the more difficult grammatical constructions, the presentation of 
any thoughts suggested by any portion of the stanza, &c., &c., should 
form the subject matter of such an effort. 

The Elegy in Tableaux. — A pretty review of the poem can be obtained 
by having each morning or evening a tableau of a single stanza. If ihe 
teacher has no gift at this kind of work, let him trust to the ingenuity of 
his pupils. He will be alike surprised and delighted with their skill and 
taste and interest. 

The Elegy Entertainment. — These various exercises, prepared as the reg- 
ular work of the school, can be grouped into a public pay entertainment, 
which will prove very pleasing and instructive. The following items may 
appear on the program : i. The recitation of the poem, each stanza by 
a pupil. 2. Recitation of the whole poem by the class in concert. 3. A 
Tableau of first stanza. 4. Recitation of poem, line by line, by successive 



4G Gray's Elegy. 

pupils of the class, all participating. 5. The biography of Gray, as an 
(inyinal composition, delivered without notes, by some member of the 
class. 6. Tableau of 4th stanza. 7. The l*>legy in prose (selected from 
those wiitten by the class). 8. History of the poem, an original compo- 
sition, delivered without notes, by some member of the class. 9. Tab- 
leau of 6th stanza. 10. Eight 2-minute essays on the first eight stanzas. 
II. Tableau of the " Animated Bust," of thelith stanza. (A fixed-up 
lamp-post with an animated fellow on a "bust," holding it up affection- 
ately.) 12. Eight 2-minute essays on the next eight stanzas. 13. And 
so on. Let these exercises be interspersed with music, and the audience 
will not only go away pleased, but they will have reason to thank this 
class lor giving them an opportunity to review and enjoy thoroughly the 
most popular poem in the language. 




UNIVERSIT Y PUB LICATIONS. 

The Hew Method or School Expogitiong. 

FOR 

TEACHERS OF RURAL.VILLAGE, CITY, NORMAL AND COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS 

Showing How the Best Methods of Teaching will Result in the 
Best School Expositions, and how the Best School Expo- 
sitions will Suggest the Best Methods of Teaching. 

By R. HEBER HOLBROOK, 
Vice-President National Normal Univeesity, Lebanon, Ohio. 



C. K. HAMILTON & CO., UNIVERSITY PUBLISHERS. 



This is the first appearance of this work from these Publishers. It is a contri- 
bution to the New Education known as Independent Normalism. 

The work is composed of two parts. Tne first, the practical portion, is ^iven 
to School Expositions, embracing one hundred pages; tlie second, comprising a 
number of appendixes, is devoted t> the philosophical elucidation of the princi- 
ples embraced in the foregoing. This latter portion is, in one sense, the more valu- 
able part of the book, as it wiil five the stadent of teachiuar an insight into the 
spirit and principles of the Exposition Methods of the preceding po.tion. 

Thepurposeof this author is evidently, first, ti present a body of elementary 
educational truths in such a manner as to display a sys,im—s\, system that shall ap- 
pear in such clear oittliaesas to make it possible for any teache ■, young or old, to 
reaVy, aiequately and conscious'y comprehend it as a system, as a distinct and pe- 
culiar system. Next, he not only presents these truths as a system, but as a line of 
convincing procedure, which shall itseli carry such force of reason and evolution 
as will completely and satisfactorily give to the reader conscious grounds for the 
distinct faith which itattemptsto establish. 

It will be sufficient to call attention to the fact that one greit result of this sys- 
tem is to develop the three great phases of intellectual growth, and to expose the 
sad defects of existiusr methods in their failure to recognize and cultivate the pro- 
ducing powers of the Intel ect. 

In surveying the whole field of existing educational practice, the author is 
evidently impressed with the weakness of all school training in this special direc- 
tion ; he has, therefore, felt it a duty to give the practical or first portion of his 
work to detail description of methods which bear directly toward the correction of 
these great evils. 

These practical suggestions are -grouped in the first hundred pages, under the 
discussion of " School Expositio:. . Here we feel ourselves in the presence of a 
real, practical teacher, who gives his own practical work as a teacher. No one who 
studies this portion can tarn away from it as from mere figments of a heated im- 
agination, or "pretty theories " which may do in the millenium or in .'^ome other 
impracticable time or place. In every sentence there appears not what may be 
done, but what really las been done. 

Appendix D., on " Outlining," is worth many times the value of the book. It 
presents the Normal Method of Outlining, known as the Exponential Method, 
as invented by President Alfred Holbrook. This system is the delight and invalu- 
able instrument of thousands of Normalites, as it is the confusicn and mistilieation 
of many who canuot or will not comprehend if. 

Appendix E., " Is there a Science of Education? " is a masterly solution 
of this question which enti les the author to a recognition, which is freely 
accorded by those who know him best, as one of the most profound and philo- 
sophical educational thinkers of the day. 

This article, though somewhat metaphysical, is still worthy the study of every 
teacher. 

Much that cannot be mentioned in brief notice will prove the most valuable 
part of this excellent work to every practical teacher. 



UNIVERSI TY PUBL ICATIONS. 
Outlines of United States History, 

A Hand-Book of Ready Reference fur 

STUDENTS, GENERAL READER AND TEACHERS. 

By R. IIEBER HOLBROOIC, 
Vice-President National Nokjial University, Lebanon, Ohio. 

LEBANON, O., T. K. HAMILTON & CO. 1S8G. 

S»OSX-:c=.A.XX) TS CE!1;TXS. 

This is a new and revised edition of a very familiar work. It is recog- 
nized by teachers everywhere, who are acquainted with it, as one. of the 
most complete, systematical, thoroughly indexed, and cheapest works in 
U. S. History, published. It is especially valuable in that it presents the 
facts of our Nation's history in a compact arrangement which gives rela- 
tive and developmentary significance to each event. It is a complete out- 
line, by fie " Expotential Method," showing upon the part of the au- 
thor a profound and original mastery of tne progress and growth of our 
Nation. The first page presents in three great "Eras" and nine great 
'• Periods, " ananalysis of the who^e history, which is as complete and 
beautiful as it is original. We understand that this epitome is entirely 
original with the author, and is the result of many years of study and 
teaching of the subject. 

The ihorough adaptation of these steps in the erection of our great 
National structure, and the masterly allotment of time and events, as 
expressed by them, must awaken the unrestrained admiration of all stti- 
dcnts of our history who have tiie true method of investigation. 

This work is a practical contribution of a practical teacher to the pro- 
fessional material of his calling ; and has already obtained wide recogni- 
tion among his co-workers. A full elucidation of the "method " invol- 
ved in this work is not to be found in this volume, as it is evidently the 
purpose of the author to present rather an exemplification than an expli- 
cation of method. 

Teachers who desire a full presentation of the '' Longitudinal Method 
of History-Teaching" set forth here, as opposed to the "Transverse 
Method" exemplified in most text-books, will refer to the "Drill Lists 
in United States History," by the same author, and issued by the same 
firm,* one of the most original and valuable contributions to History- 
Teaching lately made public. We note many changes in matter and style 
which indicate great improvement upon, and valuable additions to, lor- 
mer editions of this work. 

No teacher of Unite 1 States History should fail to give this work care- 
ful attention. We recommend it most heartily. 

It is not designed to supplant other text-books, but is a companion book 
for the teacher to be used for suggestion and guidance in the teaching of 
the subject with any adopted text. 

* Drill Lists in U. S. History. Price 25 cts. (J. K. Hamiltou &l Co., Lebanon, O. 



.oJ.3Q 



^ 



